James Potter and the Hidden Girl
by talulahbridge
Summary: James had his heart burnt and is reluctant to share it again so easily but can't help falling for a certain girl however someone else had a more sinister plan in mind for him and might get in the way of his happiness. follow up to 'It comes to Us All'
1. Chapter 1

Six weeks out on duty was hard work and James Sirius Potter realised how much he missed being able to take a daily shower and sleep in a comfortable bed alone or not and thirty nights in a tent with three other aurors all snoring and farting through the night was almost enough to make him rethink his career. After six weeks they had found nothing useful for the case and had been recalled by Beerney, the head of department, in the early hours of the morning. He told them all that they would be off duty for the next three days and to come in on Friday for a usual nine to five shift. James was looking forward to a hot shower and a relaxing night's sleep but first he had some business to take care of and after waiting for a reply to the owl he had just sent the tired and restless man jumped into the first fireplace in the atrium and flooed away quickly.

Lifting up the covers on the bed he slid his newly naked body in beside the lithe one that already occupied it and ran his hand along the curve of her waist, "Mmmm," a voice whispered as he zoned in on her peachy neck with his lips and began to kiss and caress it gently. His breathing was already ragged as he thought about what he had missed the most in the last six weeks and within seconds he was deeply aroused, cupping one of the girl's large breasts in his hand he wrapped his body around her and pushed himself into her when she moved her body back towards him. Within minutes he was ready to come but she pulled herself away from him at the crucial moment and turned him onto his back so she could straddle him and work herself above him, rising and falling while listening to his deep groans which became louder and faster the closer he got to ecstasy. Eventually she cried out with him and then fell onto his heaving body as he wrapped his arms around her naked back and held her tight. She smiled as her head lifted away from his and they were enclosed face to face by her long dark hair which fell in waves around them, "Welcome back sexy!" she whispered seductively while gazing down at him.

"Nice welcome!" he returned searching out the woman's lips and locking them with his own for a furious kiss which ended as she moved herself from above him and laid on her side in the bed facing away from him. James ruffled his hair with his fingers and then turned onto his side to curl up around her and pull her body back against him.

"Well what other welcome can I give you when you make a booty call at three am?" she replied putting her arm over his and rubbing it softly.

"At least I sent an owl this time!" he chuckled nuzzling against her neck again.

"Well thanks for that, being woken up at half past two by an owl makes it much better!"

"Hey, I missed you," he whimpered.

"More like you missed what I can give you!" she joked, "So much so that you called in here before going back to the flat!"

"That's not true!" he replied indignantly.

"What you didn't miss the sex or you did go home first?" she goaded rolling onto her back and looking at his deep delicious brown eyes.

"Well, I didn't go back to the flat first but I didn't just miss the sex," he answered a little coyly.

"Yeah right!" she laughed grabbing hold of his hair with her hands and twining it around her fingers so she could pull his face down to hers for a kiss.

"So now you've had your wicked way you'll be deserting me for the flat then? Use me and abuse me as always!"

"No, I thought I'd at least spend the night," he replied smiling cheekily, "it's only polite!"

"James Potter, since when have you been polite when it comes to shagging?" she guffawed.

"Well," he replied feigning indignance, "if you don't like it when I'm polite I can always change that," he went on rolling his body on top of hers and pinioning her down with his weight as he kissed her neck and shoulders before running his tongue down her body to her breasts where he began to tenderly bite the end of her nipples holding her arms over her head with his own. She moaned at him for a second but then he took his mouth away and looked at her deviously before starting to tickle her waist.

"James, stop it!" she shrieked while trying to wiggle and squirm beneath his body.

"No," he grunted hungrily.

"James!" she squealed again and he stopped to look up at her again.

"I'll stop if you believe that I missed you, as well as the sex!" he added slyly and she glared at him wryly.

"I believe you," she retorted putting a pout on her face, "honest!" He glared warily at her for a few minutes but did not move away until she twisted him over with her legs and they lay facing each other in the bed slightly out of breath.

"Honestly I did miss you," he said sincerely lifting his hand up to her cheek.

"Enough to tell everyone about me?" she asked quietly with a playful smile on her lips.

"I...I," he stuttered looking away from her piercing gaze. They had been seeing each other for two months before he had left on the mission, well seeing each other was stretching the truth, shagging each other had been more like it. On his return he had been a little worried that she might have met someone else while he was away, which was the main reason he had sent the owl to her first. However he was still not ready to commit to a relationship and tell everyone what he was up to even though he knew it would have been the right thing to do.

"You're not ready, I know," she sighed touching his face with her own hand.

"I'm sorry," James returned. "I understand that it's hard and it has been a while now but..." he had been burned by the only girl he had ever loved and though he had missed this one terribly while he was away James was still not up to bringing them out in the open as a couple.

"I'm happy if you are," she replied smiling warmly at him, "James Sirius Potter was always the unobtainable at school, well for me anyway, I'm just happy to finally be the one who's shagging you!"

"What do you mean unobtainable?" he asked curiously.

"You, no one could ever get near you at school, you were batting them away left right and centre and were never going to look my way were you?" It was unfortunately true that he had not seen this girl as anything more than a fellow Griffindor when they were at Hogwarts but he had been an arrogant ladies man then. His ex girlfriend, Annemarie, had changed him a lot, before her he had never developed any more feeling for a woman than the one he got in his pants when she took her clothes off but though she had hurt him a lot she had also taught him about love. He had discovered what it was like to be in a relationship and when it had ended he had tried his old single ways again but soon realised that they weren't as satisfying as they had once been. A quick shag could satisfy his physical needs but he wanted to connect with someone again, to love again though he knew it would take a lot for him to trust someone that much. Finding out that she was cheating on him had been devastating, she had claimed that she always expected him to do it but though his old ways were more like that he had never even thought about straying from her. Now that it had happened to him he knew he would struggle to trust someone as wholeheartedly again which was the biggest reason why, so far, he had kept this girl a secret.

"I...I was a different person back then," he admitted, "more involved in myself than anyone else."

"I know," she whispered, "I was only teasing!" However it was true that she would have moved heaven and earth in school to have even spoken to James Potter, the most popular boy in the school and she remembered being highly jealous of every girl he went out with and snogged in the squashy armchairs of the Griffindor common room. Though she had been and still was friends with a couple of his multitude of cousins she had rarely spoken to him in their days at school. "When you are ready then so am I," she went on looking at him seriously, "and until then the booty calls will have to do!"

A few weeks of meeting and shagging random girls and feeling little satisfaction had led him to turn down a woman at the Leaky Cauldron and retire to a hidden booth at the back where he was stumbled upon a little later by the girl in the bed beside him. They had shared a sexual encounter a few weeks prior to that and James had known then that there was a little more to her than met the eye. She was attractive but not arrogant about it and she had more than cotton wool between her ears, he remembered her from school and knew she had been quite a braniac and after asking her to join him for a while he had enjoyed a few hours of pleasant conversation. He had invited her back to his flat again but they had spent much of the night talking before she left in the early hours, he had talked about Annemarie and she had listened to him patiently nodding her head in understanding before the topic had moved on to their work and lives.

As she had prepared to floo out of the flat he had suggested that they meet again the following week realising how much he had enjoyed her company, and she had taken him up on the offer immediately. On the second meeting at her home they had slept together and afterwards he had done the one thing he had only ever done with Annemarie, curled up around her and talked into the night. He had found that he did not want to leave straight away and their hidden relationship had spanned quickly from there as they visited one another's homes two or three times a week, usually retiring quickly to bed where they shared intimate activities along with intelligent ones. She could please him in bed and he wanted to please her too, her kisses were hungry and vigorous and there was a spark between them that ran deeper than his usual one night stands. The more time he spent with the girl the more he had felt guilty for once allowing her to have been a one night stand and as the weeks went on he discovered that he wanted to spend more and more time with her, even if it wasn't out in the open. She had always been agreeable to that and he found it one more thing that was attracting him to her, "I don't want you to think that I'm using you, I just need time to..."

"To trust me," she said compassionately. She understood about Annemarie and what she had done to him, she had even spent time with her when they had been going out, secretly envying her from afar, but she was happy to be seeing James in secret if it meant her teenage fantasies were finally coming true. Maybe they would go somewhere and maybe they were not meant to be but she wouldn't push him into anything that he wasn't ready for, she knew it was likely that she was more into him than he was her but it was enough for the time being.

"No-"

"Yes," she interrupted, "and it's fine, I understand. I'm happy to be your dirty little secret, for now."

"You're not a dirty little secret!" he shrieked.

"Oh yes I am!" she teased rolling on top of him again and sliding her tongue down his chest slowly listening to him groan as she got ever nearer to his throbbing penis, "For now!" she reiterated opening her mouth wide and taking him slowly inside it.

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He left early the following morning after just a couple of hours sleep, he woke to her hands exploring his body and they had quick lustful sex again on the bedroom floor after he had tried to get up and she had launched herself at his naked body dragging him down with her until she was on her knees and he could take her from behind while cupping her breasts. They collapsed in a heap of tangled legs and then after a few minutes of gentle caressing James rose to dress while she climbed back onto the bed sinking into the fluffy covers and watching him cover his muscular body in the green Ministry robes which were standard issue for aurors. "When can I see you again?" he asked leaning down to give her a kiss.

"You know where I am!" she replied wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Thursday night?" he asked knowing he would need to see his family before then.

"I'll be right here," she teased flashing her naked body at him one last time.

With a hungry expression he grabbed one of her breasts and massaged it gently before whispering, "You are gorgeous," and then turned on the spot to apparate back to his own lonely flat which was contrastingly cold after having been vacated for the last six weeks.

She stared at the spot he had disappeared from for a moment and then smiled before bouncing out of the bed and heading into the bathroom to prepare herself for a day at work. The bags under her eyes betrayed the fact that she had had little sleep the previous night but she applied makeup to try and hide them, she was glad that James was back from his mission and a dragged out day of tiredness was worth it after a night with him. Donning smart work robes she dragged a brush through her tangled hair and caught a whiff of James' odour, he had a musky scent which oozed masculinity and she shivered a little as she remembered the night before. He was hesitant in all other areas but James Potter was a very good shag and he knew exactly what to do with everything. He needed time and she was understanding of that, Annemarie had hurt him and put him off balance. It was a well known fact that he had always been the heartbreaker and it was clear that she had knocked his confidence a little, not in the ways of being with a woman or talking to her but his confidence in trusting and loving them and she supposed that she could not blame him.

When he had first approached her months ago after his split with Annemarie she had known it would be a one night thing but to please the teenager still inside of her who had worshipped him from afar she had left with him and enjoyed a night of passion thinking it would be a complete one off. By the third time she was sure that she would never be able to give him up easily but also knew it would be a long time before he would commit to anything serious and she had made her peace with that. Then he had left on his mission and suggested that she see other people as they were not tied to each other but she had decided to wait for his return, if he rebuffed her then she would move on, if he didn't then they could carry on as they were, pleasing each other in more ways than one even if it was in secret. The owl tapping at her window in the early hours of the morning had annoyed her until she had realised it was his and after reading his scrawled letter which basically said he had missed her and was it suitable for him to call. She had scribbled a quick but breezy reply and waited in bed for his arrival knowing exactly what he really wanted and knowing exactly how she was going to give it to him.

She smiled wryly and then checked her reflection in the mirror before apparating from her house to work and going about a new day trying not to think of the handsome, rugged James Potter shagging her ruthlessly from behind on the shagpile.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: disclaimer: don't own the world of Harry Potter's family! Apologies to those who liked Annemarie if you read my last James story but she didn't work for me and I needed to invent someone new for James so here she is! Please enjoy and review!!**

Chapter 2

"Oh James, you look thin get some of this down you," his Grandmother shrieked when she clapped eyes on him as he walked through the kitchen door. She was stirring a pot of broth in a cauldron over the fire and within seconds there was a bowl of the steaming stew in front of him and a ladle sized spoon with which to eat it.

"Thanks Gran," he chuckled looking down at the delicious home cooked food, another thing he missed when he was out on a mission, standard issue tinned meat and two vegetable meals did not stand up to his grandmother's food which was always wholesome and tasty. The rations did the job at fighting hunger pangs but in the taste department they consistently scored zero.

"Harry can I get you some too?" she went on turning to his father who had followed him through the kitchen doorway.

"That would be splendid Molly, thank you," he replied clambering onto the bench beside his son and accepting a second bowl offered to him by Molly's wand.

"They really don't give you enough food out there you know," Molly said to James as she walked to a chopping block and began to slice a doorstep wedge sized piece of bread to go with the meal. "You were always the same Harry when you came back after a mission, skinny as a rake and peeky as a ghost. How they expect you to function properly is beyond me, you must get weaker as the days pass!"

"Maybe you should offer your services Gran," James replied munching on a bit of bread soaked in gravy, "this is delicious!" She smiled at him affectionately before returning to stir the pot over the fire and James began a discussion with his father about the mission. Generally it was standard practise not to discuss any assignments out of the office but Harry still visited in an advisory capacity and as he had defeated the darkest known wizard to ever live when he was seventeen the rules about secrecy had been relaxed around him.

"Just be careful son," Harry said to him after he had shared the little information they had about his latest assignment. They were following up a murder investigation but as the killing curse had been used there was very little they could find to try and identify who might have been involved. Harry sighed and thought back on his own days as an auror, he had been chasing around the world trying to catch the death eaters who had escaped after the final battle, it had been dangerous and exciting but the job was so different now. Fortunately there had not been many uprisings from dark wizards over the last couple of decades but he knew his son was desperate to be out on a mission like his father had faced even though Harry secretly hoped he would never have to face one.

James nodded his head in response before standing up and taking his bowl to the sink, he set it washing itself with his wand before turning back to thank his Grandmother one more time, "We'd better get back and see Mum," he said to Harry, "I'll be here for dinner on Thursday night Gran but I'll be leaving a bit early if you don't mind."

"Oh yes?" his father asked, "Anyone we know?"

"Just...just a couple of old friends I wanted to catch up with down at the Cauldron," he lied looking out of the window to try and hide it. "I'm off until Friday," he went on to explain changing the subject quickly and hoping it would not be diverted back by his father. Living alone now that his best friend was married did make conducting a secret affair easy but there were still times when it was difficult to explain his absence and this was another thing which made him want to bring it out into the open.

As they flooed from the Burrow back to Grimmauld place, the main reason why they had visited in the first place, James thought about his secret girl. He had missed her a lot when he had been out on the mission , more than he imagined he would have, she was a special girl and he knew he was developing feelings for her. He did not think it was love but he felt an overwhelming urge to be with her and had spent many nights in the tent thinking about her and wondering what she was doing, feeling slightly jealous when he remembered that he had told her to see other people. They had been seeing each other in secret for almost two months when he left and while he was attracted to her and enjoyed her company he had been reluctant to admit that he might want anything more. James did not want a girl attaching herself to him and had given her free rein to go and see other people but within a few days he had realised that he missed her and had found himself wondering if she had taken his word while secretly hoping that she hadn't. If she had he knew he could not blame her, he was a bit of a mess for the first time when it came to women and knew that really it wasn't fair on the girl. He had not been presumptuous enough to just turn up on her doorstep after his return but had been hopeful that she might receive him after sending an owl. The hurriedly scribbled note which had come quickly in reply had lifted his heart a little, not because he wanted sex but because he wanted company, her company.

"James," said a voice when he appeared in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and his train of thoughts was abandoned as he was enclosed in his mother's tight grip for the next few minutes.

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"Manage to get away okay?" she asked when he appeared in the grate with a smile on his face on Thursday night, he was happy to see her and knew this was more confirmation that his feelings were becoming deeper.

"With a little teasing from Dominique," he sighed "but they all think I'm at the Cauldron."

"Meeting another woman?" she asked cockily.

"Probably," he replied walking over to her chair and sitting on the arm of it, she was wearing a silky dressing gown and he could tell she was naked underneath it but he hadn't just come for sex, he had come to see her.

"Shall we?" she asked indicating the bedroom door.

"Not yet," he replied smiling, "I keep trying to tell you I'm not just here to shag you."

"No?" she said smiling widely and sliding her fingers to the belt of her gown.

"No," he said vehemently moving her hand away and pulling the knot a little tighter, "come and sit with me," he whispered holding out his hand and she took it in her own letting him pull her to her feet and together they walked to the heavy rug in front of the fire from which he had just appeared. He lay down on it with his back against another chair leg before patting the ground for her to join him, she sat down and he pulled her against his chest reaching both arms around her and resting his hands on her slender waist. She put her head back against his shoulder and he pushed her long, dark , wavy hair out of the way with his nose so he could rest his chin on her shoulder, "Tell me about your day," he whispered gently stroking her waist and they entered into an easy conversation about what they had been doing. She went on to tell him about the last six weeks while he had been away but of course James was unable share any of his news and after an hour he began to nibble her neck gently listening to her soft moans.

She sat up and turned around to face him starting to slowly unbutton the thin linen shirt that he wore, he watched her face as she did it and made a soft growling sound as she touched his chest with her fingernails. Pushing the shirt over his shoulder blades she leaned forwards and started to kiss him, it was gentle but passionate and though they had never really shared a sensuous first kiss ever other kiss with her was exciting and meaningful. She straddled him with her knees on the floor and lifted his hands to the knot on her dressing gown, when it was unfastened the gown fell away to reveal her sleek, soft body. She had large breasts which he cupped in his hands and massaged gently to the sounds of her moans occasionally sliding a thumb over the end of the nipples and feeling her keel to him. He lifted the dark blue robe away and discarded it by the fire, "Have you closed the floo?" he whispered not wanting to be disturbed and she nodded back at him. His hands slid along the rest of her body and came to rest on her hips as he sought out her soft full lips again and started to kiss them, for her the more he kissed her the deeper she fell for him and the more she had to chide herself for doing it.

She stopped and gasped as she felt her body suddenly rising by itself into the air and when her eyes opened she saw that James had directed his wand at her and was hovering her above him in the air, she could feel a soft breezy sensation beneath her upon which she seemed to be floating and she watched as he hurriedly removed his trousers and revealed himself to her. While placing her hands on his shoulders she marvelled at his sensuous magic and gazed into his eyes as he used his wand to lower and guide her onto him slowly and by placing his hands on her bottom he pulled her close to him so he was thrust as deep as he could be inside of her. She flung her head back and groaned as he moved her back and forth listening to his simultaneous moans and she wrapped her arms around his head pulling it close to her body so it was between her breasts. They moved together slowly for a while until their passions were heightened and they needed a release at which point their speed increased and James let out a loud cry as he released himself and listened to her moans deepen as he hoped she had reached her own climax. For a few moments they stayed in their position, he deeply lost in her breasts and she with her face looking to the ceiling both breathing deeply and raggedly feeling the blood pumping wildly through their veins.

"James," she eventually whispered knowing that the more she was with him the more she wanted him. He uttered her name in reply using a sensuous tone which she tried not to read into, this relationship of sorts had come out of the blue and she knew it could disappear just as quickly. After a while they looked at each other again and then she moved her body to the rug beside him and he curled up around her in their favourite sleeping positions. "Are you staying?" she asked eventually as he stroked hair back from her face and blew soft breaths in her ear.

"Yes," he replied surprising her a little, "unless you want me to go?" Before his mission he had usually left, not immediately after sex, but he had rarely spent the whole night with her and she had always followed his example when visiting him reluctantly leaving while always hiding her slight disappointment. However tonight he found that he didn't want to leave like he usually did and when she asked him his heart had leapt a little.

"No, you can always stay," she responded remembering how good it felt to wake up beside him the previous morning, and how good it was to start the day with a shag from the virile James Sirius Potter. He started to kiss her neck softly then and she felt herself melting to him again., she had always imagined him to have been a man who wanted his own needs satisfying and cared little for anyone else's but he had surprised her with his gentle touch and sensuous kisses which had only increased her want for him. They fell asleep in front of the fire and woke in the early hours of the morning when the candles had all burned out, just the glow from the fire lit the room and she moaned groggily as she turned to face a fully woken James who had been watching her sleeping peacefully.

"You look pretty when you sleep," he whispered, "why did I never notice how pretty you were before?" she smiled back at him and reached out to touch his face.

"Maybe you never looked," she replied.

"I should have," he went on leaning down to kiss her before folding her up in his arms again so they could sleep cuddled up, she had her face against his chest breathing in the musky smell again and he rested the top of his chin on her head. He was definitely falling for this woman in some way whether he wanted to or not and he just hoped that if he ever gave his heart to her she would not destroy it like Annemarie had done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Shhh, don't wake up," James breathed as he carried the slumbering brunette in his arms towards her bedroom, "I have to go to work but you stay here, sleep a bit longer." He laid her down on the bed and pulled covers over her naked body, which he peered at lustily before draping the covers onto it.

"What time is it?" she whispered.

"Six," he returned, "I need to go home and get changed before I go in and they want me there at seven to discuss where we go next."

"So you'll be leaving again?" she asked trying not to betray her sadness about the fact.

"I don't know what we'll be doing, but I don't think we'll be sent anywhere today."

"Oh, okay," she said opening her eyes more fully and staring at his floppy dark hair and deep brown eyes, she longed to ask him when she might see him again but never pushed their relationship of sorts and waited for him to see or contact her welcoming him willingly and always hoping he would stay a little longer.

"I told you not to wake up," he breathed at her again leaning close and kissing her softly on the lips, he really did think she was pretty when she was sleeping, her face relaxed and her soft long hair draped around her face. "Will you be at the Cauldron tonight?" he asked standing up and hearing her sigh uncontrollably as he moved away.

"I will," she replied looking forward to a Friday night drink at the end of long week.

"I hope to see you there then," he chirped smiling and turning to walk away.

"You mean you'll talk to me?" she teased smiling wryly at him.

"Of course I will," he answered indignantly, "I'll always talk to you!"

"I'm teasing James," she went on laughing at him, "stop feeling so guilty about your dirty little secret!"

"I've told you," he replied walking back over to the bed and sitting down on the edge, "you are not a dirty little secret and I'm not ashamed of you."

"Then stop feeling guilty about it!" she whispered gently taking his hand in hers, "I can be very patient as well as discreet you know, now off to work before they start missing you! I'll see you tonight!" With another kiss and a smile he left her and apparated back to his cold flat where he suddenly felt lonely, he instantly found himself missing her again which in turn led to him feeling guilty once more, something that she had been right about. He did feel guilty about keeping her a secret but still did not want to tell anyone about her, coming out to the world meant showing that his heart had healed and he wasn't sure that it had just yet.

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"Who's James talking to?" Rose asked her best friend that evening in the pub. She and Holly had flooed from her house to the Leaky Cauldron around seven o clock with Salamander who was meeting James in the bar. "She's pretty," Rose went on, "not his usual type at all."

"What he doesn't usually go for pretty girls?" Holly chuckled in reply glancing over to the bar where James was deep in conversation with a young woman who had long dark wavy hair and a curvy body.

"Well yes, he goes for pretty girls but apart from Annemarie he always favoured blondes with big boobs! I thought after what she'd done to him he might go back to his old ways but she's nice, I wonder who she is. Do you know?" she asked as her husband arrived with drinks for the girls.

"Know what?" he asked with a bemused expression.

"Who the leggy brunette is talking to James," Holly explained nodding her head towards the bar, "they look pretty friendly!" she chuckled wiggling her eyebrows. They were deep in conversation, something else which they all noticed was quite strange for James when he was chatting up a girl, and she kept casually dropping her hand on top of his and then removing it quickly as if she had touched something forbidden.

"I don't, no," Sal replied, "though she does look familiar, I think I may have caught her stumbling out of the flat a few months ago when I was collecting some of my stuff. It's no secret that he'd gone back to his old ways in an attempt to get over Annemarie. Mind you having said that he didn't seem to be doing much of that before he went away, perhaps the lack of sex during the mission had put him on heat and he's gone searching for someone to satisfy his needs! We all know what he's like!" he laughed turning to watch his friend who was chuckling at something the girl had said and looking like his old self again.

"Hey guys," said a voice from behind them and they turned to see Dominique standing beside the booth they were occupying. She had flooed in with her sister and two of Victoire's old school friends, Penelope and Sally, all of whom had all made a beeline for the bar on arrival.

"You any idea who the girl over there is?" Rose asked her nodding again at James and the mystery woman who had sidled onto the barstool beside him and was getting increasingly closer to her catch.

Dominique's head swung around and looked at her cousin and his new friend but she shook it in reply, "No idea, he looks quite taken though," she noticed, "maybe she's helping him move on! She's got the boobs that he usually goes for but I thought he'd be back on the blondes by now!"

"That's what we said," Holly laughed as Dominique dropped into the seat beside her, "Sal reckons he's already seen her leaving the flat once and it's not like James to go back for seconds unless he's really interested in a girl! Maybe he's turning a corner!"

"Or maybe he needs a shag after being cooped up in a tent with three other male aurors!" Dominique guffawed and they all fell about laughing before entering into the usual Friday night conversation about their respective weeks at work.

At nine o clock Holly went to the bar to replenish their drinks and found James sat alone, "Been having fun?" she teased digging him in the ribs, as her friend's cousin they had always shared a jokey relationship, even after she had found herself the subject of one of his one night stands.

"Sarah?" he asked smiling at his cousin's friend, "She's just someone I...I once."

"Shagged?" she chuckled, "Yeah I know Sal said he saw her stumbling out of the flat one morning a few months ago."

"Well..." he stuttered and she giggled at him before accepting the drinks that Tom the barman gave her and sauntering back to the booth she had been sitting in with her friends.

"Well he's confirmed that he's shagged her," she told them, "so Sal's eyes work properly!" she teased dropping back into the seat beside Dominique.

"So the mystery is why he's chatting her up again!" Rose said eying him warily, "Maybe his heart is healing after all."

"I still say he just wants an easy lay," Dominique commented turning back to watch the tall, dark haired woman walking back over to James swinging her hips at him. She noticed a slightly annoyed look cross his face but he was polite enough to keep talking to her for a while longer before excusing himself to join his friends in the booth.

"So spill it then!" Dominique said as he sat down with them and glanced back at the girl who had just joined her own friends on the other side of the bar.

"There's nothing to spill," James laughed back, "I just know her from-"

"Shagging her," Dominique cut in.

"No," he replied looking coyly away.

"Liar," Rose returned goading him, "why are you being all shy in front of us?" she asked a little softer, "We all know what you are like! Even Holly remembers your wicked bachelor ways! Who cares if you slept with her James, good for you and if you want to see her again then no one is going to think anything of it you know."

"I don't want to see her again," he protested turning red in the face, "she wouldn't leave me alone, quite annoying really," he went on sounding slightly angry and they all decided to let it drop. James' love life was not a point they wanted to push at the moment knowing that he had been more cut up about Annemarie's betrayal than he had first let on. They all knew he would probably seek out the leggy brunette later in the night and coax her back to the flat again, which judging by the way she had been acting around him wouldn't take much coaxing, so they all let the matter drop and continued with their earlier conversations.

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He caught her coming back from the toilet later and backed her into a hidden alcove near the door to the cellar where he put one hand against the wall and stared down at her, "Hey sexy," he whispered huskily, "I've been watching you."

"I know," she giggled back at him lifting one hand to touch his chest, she slid her fingers between the buttons of his shirt and heard him moan softly as she scratched it.

"Will you be going home?" he asked hopefully staring into her eyes and she smiled at him seductively while nodding her head in reply. His free hand lifted up to touch her waist and he leaned down to kiss her hungrily pushing his tongue into her mouth and feeling her accept him. "Alone?" he breathed heavily as they pulled apart.

"I hope not," she returned and he smiled cockily as his hand moved around to her back so he could pull her close against his body, she keeled to his hold and enjoyed feeling his strong body pinioned so closely to hers, "but what about your friend?" she asked hiding the tinge of jealousy from her voice.

"An old friend," he replied "and in case you hadn't noticed I'm hiding down here with you and not her."

"And the others?" she went on glancing over at the booth where his family sat.

"They'll be leaving soon," he answered.

"And you know where I'll be," she teased kissing him quickly on the lips and grabbing hold of the bulge in his trousers before she twisted from beneath his arm and skipped back into the bar glancing over her shoulder once to see his longing gaze watching her. His eyes were full of lust as she returned to her friends and sat back down, she didn't want to make any assumptions about herself and James Potter but at this moment in time she knew she had him wrapped around her little finger, even if it would only be for the night.

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"You little tease," he whispered half an hour later when he flooed into her living room and shot across it towards her. He had waited until everyone had left him in the bar, all assuming he would seek out the girl he had been talking earlier in the night, before flooing to her home. She had used the time to undress quickly so when he arrived he found her wearing only matching bra and pants while draped across the arm of her leather settee looking provocatively at him.

"I don't know what you mean!" she laughed jumping up from the seat and dashing in the direction of her bedroom door.

"Come here," he said authoritatively and she stopped in her tracks to look at him.

"Oh, I like it when you're commanding!" she returned wiggling her hips at him.

"Then I command that you get over here and finish what you started," he replied with a growl, he was almost panting with desire and watching her lithe, soft, almost naked body jumping around the room was only increasing it more. She stared defiantly back at him through seductive eyes and smiled cheekily before dashing to the door of her room. "Accerco," he called pointing his wand at her as he simultaneously jumped in her direction. The spell had the desired effect and knocked her off balance , she stumbled for a second and then fell towards the floor where James' strong arms dropped down to catch her. She screeched as she fell and then giggled when he caught her and pulled her close to his own body. He had her back against his chest and as he steadied her back onto her own two feet his deft hands slid up to cup one of her breasts and he whispered in her ear in a commanding voice, "Kiss me!"

He gently swung her around to face him and crushed his lips against hers as she fumbled with the heavy oak bedroom door behind them, they fell through it together as she started to undress James hurriedly almost ripping the shirt from his shoulders and dragging his trousers to the floor. They stumbled across the floor as she did this and when he was fully naked they fell onto the bed together still kissing and wrapping their arms around one another furiously. James rolled the aroused young woman onto her back and pushed her knees apart with his legs, breathing raggedly he kissed her neck, her shoulders and the top of her breasts while reaching around to unhook the delicate lace bra which contained them. She flung it over her head as he took hold of each breast in separate hands, massaging and caressing them and listening to her moans as his thumbs grazed the nipples on the end of them. She wanted him inside of her and she fumbled with her pants, struggling to remove them because of his position, he soon realised this and lifting his body away from hers he moved his fingers to her buttocks and slid them off, pulling them gently down each leg and staring at her with a wildly passionate look on his face. She was incredible, she was feisty and cocky and sensual, she was pretty and sexy and aroused his desire easily. Leaning back over her he stared into her eyes as he took her swiftly and hard, hearing her groan deeply over and over again as he repeatedly pushed himself in and out.

Moments later they lay panting and sated James still looking down on her from between her legs and she with her hands on his back where she had been scratching him with her fingernails as they shared wild, passionate sex. He kept staring into her eyes, something he only realised he had done since his return from the mission, before he had left they would curl up after sex and caress one another but he had never really seen her eyes before. They were deep and soulful, full of compassion and understanding but with a cheeky sparkle which made him want to wallow in them, they were dazzlingly blue and as she gazed back at him with a satisfied expression he found himself whispering, "You have beautiful eyes."

"Thank you," she replied sounding shocked but still looking into his dark brown ones.

"I've never noticed before, I'm sorry," he went on and then he added quietly, "can...can I stay?" surprising himself as much as her with his question.

"You don't need to ask James," she breathed in reply secretly revelling in the fact that he wanted to spend the night again. Since his return from the mission he had been increasingly attentive to her and was now sleeping at her home for the second night in a row, something he had never done before. She had vowed to herself that she would only get her hopes up about their relationship if or when he decided to tell people about them, until then she would take what she could get, but that was going to get harder if her continued to be like this with her. She wasn't in love with him, she wouldn't allow that until he was ready, if he ever was, but she cared deeply for him and knew it was as much more than a friend.

"I don't want to presume anything," he whispered moving his body from above hers and pulling her into the crook of his shoulder, "I care for you deeply and don't want you to be constantly hanging on for a mess like me."

I'll hang on as long as you let me, she thought to herself "You're not a mess," she whispered in reply as she nestled into his shoulder and kissed it softly. "You just need a little understanding," she went on as they settled down into a comfortable conversation again. It had been the one thing that had really surprised her about James that after sex he always wanted to talk to her and listen to her as they gently caressed one another before, usually, he left.

They fell asleep in the same position and when sunlight woke her the next morning as it streamed through the bedroom window she knew it was almost mid-morning. Stretching and rolling over and was surprised to see that James was still in her bed. Her stretch disturbed him and his eyelids fluttered open slowly as he peered from beneath his long crop of raven coloured hair, "Morning sexy," he murmured reaching out to her, "what are we doing awake? It's the weekend," he chuckled closing his eyelids again.

"It's late," she replied enjoying that he was still there but fearing that he would want to be elsewhere, the few occasions on which he had stayed over James had left before sunrise, even when he did not have to be at work, and she was waiting for him to grasp that and get up to leave.

The tentative girl moved to sit on the edge of the bed waiting for his realisation but instead he answered with a stifled yawn "So? Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No, no of course not," she replied.

"Then get your cute arse back in this bed," he said reaching out and grabbing hold of her thin body which he pulled back towards him forcefully, enfolding her in his arms where he could lay his head on her shoulder. She allowed him to do it and listened as his breathing became deeper soon realising that he had gone back to sleep. Enjoying the feel of his strong body against hers she allowed herself to drift back into a deep slumber from which neither of them woke until noon.

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"Come to the flat tonight," he whispered as he wrapped his cloak around him and prepared to jump into the fire, they had had sex again when they were both fully awake and he had called out her name as they came together making her blush but feel secretly pleased, "I'll cook for you."

"Really?" she blurted before her mind had kicked into gear, he wanted to spend three nights in a row with her and cook as well? Apart from the odd sandwich or quick slice of toast food had never been one of the factors in their equation when they met, sex and talking were usually the only things on the agenda.

"Does that surprise you?" he asked chuckling at her tone of surprise.

"No...well...I..just." she stuttered.

"Let's take this..." he faltered on the word relationship and didn't replace it with another, "...to the next level," he went on, "and include food shall we?" she smiled at him and chuckled as he leaned over to kiss her goodbye and then disappeared back to his empty flat for a while before spending the day with his family.

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The following month was busy for James and though he wasn't sent out on assignment again he was swamped at work and had little time to spend on his secret affair, almost a week had gone by without him seeing her and he knew that he missed her a lot. One Friday night he managed to get away from work around nine o clock and flooed straight to the bar to see his cousins and friends, he found Rose, Dominique and Holly at their usual table with Salamander who he went and sat at the bar with for an hour. Later he cornered the girl in the same place as before and asked her if she cared to call in at the flat when she had finished with her evening. He was tired and wanted to relax at home but was desperate for some company and realised hers was the only company he wanted, she nodded her reply and he left swiftly waiting for her in his bed this time. She arrived soon after saying she had passed off a headache to the companions she had left and they engaged in another steamy sex session before dropping to sleep in their usual curled up position. He had been called into work early the next morning after an official owl had come from the office, there was to be a meeting at nine o clock but Beerney wanted some reports writing up before then so James had to go. "I'll be in touch when I can," he whispered leaving her in his flat and telling her to go when she was ready. It shocked her somewhat that he had left her at his home, alone, was he starting to trust her at last?

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_With long, red talonned fingernails she fingered the copy of The Daily Prophet which bore a picture of a striking looking man on the front page, a man whom she was forming a plan about, a plot which would help to put her in his Lordship's high esteem. The plan was simple she was sure, it may not even take long to carry out and soon she might be there, where she wanted to be, on the right hand side of her lord, the most powerful dark Lord alive and the man she wanted to please above all others. Something she intended to do with her scheme to get him the power he really needed to finally succeed with his master plan, the one he had worked towards for over twenty years and the one she would be able to see out with him as his number one. She knew where to find the man in the picture and also knew how to get exactly what she wanted from him, imperious would be no good he would throw that immediately, but she could use her own ways to extract what she needed most from him and then be gone before he even knew what it was. It was perfect and she knew it._


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks to my reviewers so far! I promise nothing about who the 'hidden girl' is just yet but I like the guessing! There is a bit more magic action in this story unlike my last few and have thoroughly enjoyed writing it! Please review again! thanks x (P.S. for those who missed what happened with James and Annemarie (it ended in a different story) she slept with someone else, I'm afraid my heart wasn't into her and I like this girl much better!)**

Chapter 4

It had been a long and stressful week and James had not had a minute to do anything other than work and sleep; he had not seen her once since Saturday night and all he wanted to do now was relax in the bar with his friends and hopefully seek out the woman he needed to be with afterwards. The news that Beerney had given him before he left that night had turned his heart to ice and the fact that it would be starting tomorrow had made him more desperate to search out the one person who could provide him with a little bit of hope before then.

Flooing in straight from the Ministry he spotted most of his usual crowd in their regular booth near the back of the bar; waving his acknowledgement at them he approached the bar to buy a drink and noticed that she was standing there as well. He was about to whisper a sly hello when he was stopped in his tracks as a man walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder. It was a man that he recognised; one he had seen her with before when he was still with Annemarie and he felt a sudden wild growl in his chest as his eyes turned green.

"Hi James," she said casually when she noticed him at the bar and he nodded his head in acknowledgment as the man steered her away to a quiet booth not far from where James cousins and friends were sitting. He knew he was scowling and had to quickly erase the look when he saw Salamander approaching him.

"Save me from the girls' talk," his friend pleaded clapping him on the shoulder and asking the bar man for another bottle of butterbeer. "I can't take any more! You alright?" he asked noticing the disgruntled look on his friend's face.

"What? Oh yeah, fine it's just been a long week," he finished turning to look at his mate instead of the laughing couple he had been staring at, "barely had time to wipe my arse with everything that's going on at the Ministry!"

"Well have a beer and forget about it," he chuckled handing over the bottle which Tom had just placed on the bar, "and we're staying here tonight, I am not joining that conversation again!" he said adamantly nodding over at the booth where Rose, Dominique and Victoire were sat with some of their friends. A few hours passed in relaxed conversation but they eventually joined the girls in the booth and James found himself unbearably close to the woman who was driving him crazy just by being sat with another man. He could hear their conversation and knew the man was trying to coerce her into going home with him for the night.

Around eleven o clock he watched her head into the corner where they usually found each other on the sly, shimmying past the table where James sat and swinging her hips slightly. He excused himself and went to look for her but she wasn't in the usual place and he was about to give up and walk away when a hand reached out from the cellar doorway and grabbed his arm. He allowed himself to be pulled in and put both arms against the door trapping her against it with his body. "I missed you this week," he growled hungrily. "I was hoping to-" she cut him off with a vigorous kiss which showed him that she was equally keen to spend the night with him and in response he pushed his body roughly against hers and felt his blood start pumping around it in preparation for what he wanted.

"So was I," she returned hungrily when they broke apart wishing she could undress him right there.

"What about...?" he indicated back into the bar with his head and she pulled a grimace in response.

"I'll get rid of him," she said leaning up to kiss him again while holding his head close to hers by pulling on his dark green work tie.

"Come to the flat," he said raggedly when they pulled apart, "and soon!" he added wiggling his eyebrows at her before he turned to leave. She watched him walk away moving nearer to the main part of the bar and heard him apologising a few moments later to his friends for needing to leave early. He feigned tiredness as an excuse and apparated from the bar with a sly look in her direction. She smiled briefly at him as he disappeared before saying an abrupt goodnight to the man she had dated briefly the previous summer and returning to talk to the friends she had been with before he had interrupted and insisted on catching up with her. She had initially been too polite to rebuff him but now that she knew James wanted her all politeness had gone out of the window. When he had appeared in the bar she had slightly enjoyed the envious tinge that came into his eye as he spotted her talking to another man and had not wanted to get rid of him quite so eagerly then. She had also sensed James watching her all night, secretly enjoying it still, but all the while knowing that she had no intention of spending the night with anyone but James, even though her companion had been desperately trying to change that.

"That's the fourth week in a row that James has left alone," Dominique commented to the rest of the table after he had gone, "assuming he did actually leave the week before with that brunette we saw him chatting to; if not that makes five weeks!"

"Maybe he's changing his ways," Holly suggested laughing.

"And maybe grindylows will fly!" Salamander remarked, "I just think he's got a lot going on at work!"

"Doesn't usually stop him getting a shag though," Dominique joked.

"I don't know," Rose disagreed, "he's been different ever since Annemarie; I don't care what excuses he uses, he's not as in to getting a quick lay as he used to be."

"Maybe he's looking for something more serious!" Sally, Victoire's friend, said chuckling at the very idea as she stood up to leave the table and join Victoire and Penelope who were now at the bar.

"Now don't push it, this is James we're talking about," Sal said and she shrugged her shoulders as she walked away.

"I don't know Honey," Rose went on continuing the conversation and placing a hand on top of her husband's, "he was happy with Annemarie and none of us ever expected him to settle down with anyone back then. Maybe he's not going to go back to his old ways; she might have shown him that he wants more."

"Well he went back to them when they first split up," Sal continued, "I saw that girl he was with the other week leaving the flat early one morning didn't I? And I'm sure she wasn't the only one. In fact I seem to remember someone at this very table being one of his notches," he teased glaring over at Holly who was suddenly blushing furiously, "he was pretty eager to play his old ways at our wedding!"

"Piss off!" Holly shrieked batting him from across the table. The first time she had seen Rose and Sal after their wedding she had had to endure his taunts about going home with Rose's handsome cousin and she had known then that they would come back to haunt her. She wasn't the only friend of one of his multitude of cousins to have slept with James, why wasn't there someone else around for them to pick on?

"Leave her alone," Dominique interrupted, "I'm sure sleeping with our dear James was one not of her finest moments. Another mistake chalked up to the firewhiskey?"

"And James' charms!" Salamander added laughing raucously.

"I wouldn't say his charms," Holly said standing up for herself, "more his insistence!"

"Funnily enough that's what the other girls say!" Salamander joked as he noticed another of his recent conquests walking across the bar in the direction of the floo, "including her," he whispered nodding at Penelope who had just said her goodbyes to Victoire and Sally.

"She slept with James?" Dom shrieked back, "Does Victoire know?"

"I don't know if Vic knows about it but I definitely saw her leaving the flat not long after our wedding too; looks like he has a thing about the Weasley girls' friends, we'd better warn the rest of them!" he chuckled. "Hey Sally," he called across the bar making the tall brunette turn to look at him.

"Ignore him Sally," Rose cut in before Sal could say anything more, "he's just trying to wind you up!" But she and their silvery blonde haired cousin returned to the table to sit down again.

"Stop spoiling my fun!" Salamander pouted.

"Well stop winding people up then Darling; and anyway I don't think we need to warn anyone," Rose said adamantly, "I think he's looking for something more serious even if he has been shagging around a bit again recently, it's just going to take him a while."

"Take who a while?" Sally asked them.

"James," Dominique explained.

"Are we still on him?" Sally continued.

"Yes we are Sally dear and I still say until he's found someone serious," he made airquotes around the word serious as he spoke, "if you're female and friends with a Weasley you'd better stay out of his way!" Sally looked at them all curiously when Salamander gave her a meaningful look and Dominique laughed along with her cousin's husband as she watched the prim and proper dark haired girl, who had been good friends with her sister for many years, jump into the fireplace and floo away. Penelope had always been the shy, retiring type at school who hung around in other people's shadows and barely said boo to a goose; she had also been one of a multitude of girls who had fancied their cousin James, even though he was a little younger than she was, but Dominique could never imagine she was the type of girl who would have a one night stand with anyone, never mind her womanising cousin.

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"James Sirius Potter, did I detect a hint of green in your eyes earlier?" she asked when they were laid in their usual post coital position in James' huge bed.

"I don't know what you mean," he whispered stroking her arm and she turned over to look into his eyes.

"You were watching me in the bar with my friend!" she chuckled reaching up to touch his face as he tried to turn it away, "And you didn't look very happy."

"I...I..." he realised that he had no claim over her while they were still a secret but seeing her talking to another man, who was quite obviously trying to get into her knickers, had really sparked the green eyed monster within him. Not because he felt she might betray him with someone else but because he wanted her to be his. She smiled in understanding and he marvelled at her; in all this time she had never pushed him to be more open about their relationship and she still accepted their situation graciously.

"You were jealous weren't you?" she whispered remembering the girl in the bar who had been chatting to him weeks before that; she had hidden her envy from James not wanting him to know how much she was falling for him; but after tonight she had realised that maybe he was starting to feel the same way as she did.

"No...I..." he stuttered and she smiled naughtily at him. But instead of answering her question he turned her body a little towards his and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her, "Listen," he began, "I have to go away again." The news Beerney had given him was that his two month stint guarding Azkaban had come around; to ensure that they did not go out to the prison feeling worried and depressed about the assignment they were only ever told the night before they were due to go. Living and working with dementors for two months was physically and emotionally draining which was why they had to do short shifts and then have a month off work to recover. The pay was immense as the work was so difficult; but nobody was ready for it and every auror in the department dreaded the day when it would be their turn to go.

She sighed a little at his comment but did not complain, "Hmmm."

"I'll be gone for two months and-"

"You'll be out of contact, I know," she smiled waiting for him to say the inevitable but he surprised her this time with his stuttered words.

"Will...will you...wait for me?" he asked.

"What?" she replied breathlessly lifting her head up from the pillow.

"I...I know I have no right to ask but I missed you before and...and tonight when I saw you with someone else," he looked down briefly; "I didn't like it," he admitted making her grin, "I want you to be mine...and mine only...you can say no and I'll understand," he went on sitting up in the bed as he felt nervousness settle in his stomach. In the last few weeks his feelings for this girl had developed and become stronger and stronger; he didn't want to go away again but more because he didn't want to leave her than because of where he was going. Seeing her with someone else in the bar earlier had made him realise that and he had made the decision then and there to ask her if she would wait for him; even if her answer turned out to be no. "I just-"

"Of course I'll wait for you," she cut in reaching out a hand to touch him and feeling her heart leap into her mouth; she had been expecting him to tell her to see other people again; but if he was asking her not to did that mean he wanted to be more involved with her than he already was?

He leaned down then to kiss her before whispering, "Thank you," as she laid her head back on his shoulder and began to stroke the hairs on his chest. "I'm going to Azkaban," he whispered and she sat up in shock.

"What?"

"We all have to do it at some stage," he sighed feeling lower and lower the more he thought about it, "and my time has come." She reached out to touch his cheek and stroked it gently; close contact with just one dementor was bad and she had only just encountered it herself recently when she had started her current job but that had been with one on its own. She could scarcely imagine what it would be like to be around hundreds of them for days on end and she shuddered at the thought. Her heart went out to him and she instantly worried about how he would return; would he be different? Would he have wanted her to wait for him by then?

He left the next morning after they had had slow and sensual sex for the first time; he had initiated it slowly and they had gazed at each other as James moved himself above her gently, this time intermittently caressing her face with tiny kisses. She stroked his body as they made short, quiet gasping sounds until they both reached ecstasy and then curled up holding one another for a short time. James didn't want to get up; it seemed as if it would be forever before he saw her again; and though she had said she would wait for him he still felt that he could not hold her to it when they were still living in secret. "I'll see you soon," he whispered when they had finally dressed and walked to the fireplace in the living room.

"Be careful," she replied, "and...and stay...happy?"

"I'll try," he answered pulling her close to him and leaving her with one more longing kiss; he pressed her body against his and drunk it in as their tongues locked together. They had shared many kisses before this one but he felt he had turned a strange corner the night before and it seemed to James like a sensual first kiss; one which truly told him whether there was any future for him with the woman in his arms. "Wow," he whispered when they broke apart, "I'll just remember that to keep me happy," he went on and she smiled back at him looking slightly shell shocked. She had felt the new connection too; something which had never been there before and she was now more determined than ever that she would wait for James Sirius Potter, for however long he needed her to.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

James felt completely drained of life, even his usually strong bulldog patronus was deflated and plodded along meekly ahead of him offering now only a modicum of protection from the misery and despair of Azkaban. His time was coming to an end but even that thought did nothing to strengthen him after almost eight weeks of living a dreary, depressing existence. Working with the prisoners was easy; none of them spoke and they hardly even moved as they wallowed in their own nightmares; but he still had to make regular patrols and came into contact with the dementors frequently. They spread their despair everywhere; the whole building was drab and cold and even on sunny days they sucked all the joy out of the warm, bright circle in the sky. James desperately sought out happy thoughts to try and get through the torture and he constantly found himself thinking about her; eight weeks without any contact had been unbearable, especially after the magical kiss they had parted with, but even the thought of seeing her again could not take away his despair.

He constantly worried about whether she would have stuck to her word and waited for him a dreadful thought that plagued him more and more the longer he was there. She had said she would and the whole time he had tried to hope for it but known he could not really expect her to; in all sense of the word she was a free agent and it would be hard for her to explain why she might not want to see another man. He had imagined scenarios like the night before he had left for Azkaban where she would be in the Leaky Cauldron being chatted up by some one, alcohol flowing and James a million miles away. It would be tempting for a pretty girl like her and he had no right to insist that she did not take another man up on his offer. Each time he thought about it he found himself becoming more and more depressed but knew it was not just the effects of the dementors which were doing it. At first, to try and make himself more hopeful, he had replayed their last kiss over and over; it had been so different to any other they had shared and had made his heart leap like it had not done for a long time. However he found that he could not even rely on that thought to cheer him up as he always inevitably moved on to seeing her sharing that same kiss with someone else and the tiny glimmer of happiness he had seen would once again recede from his mind to be replaced with complete desolation.

"Potter," a defeated voice behind him called one morning as he prepared to do a sweep of the prison cells and he turned around slowly to see who had spoken to him; even his movements out here were slow and he found just putting one foot in front of the other an almost impossible task.

"Sir," he replied in a monotone voice when he saw his superior, and head auror for the spring shift, standing behind him accompanied by an equally defeated looking ox patronus.

"Can you come to my office at noon?" he said and James nodded his head slowly in response before trudging up the stairs ahead of him to check that all prisoners were still wallowing in their cells.

The minutes dragged by like days but it was almost noon when he had finished checking all the cells. At the end of the round were the worst prisioners; the ones who had had their souls sucked out by the dementors, living and breathing shells with no understanding of their existence. It made James recoil every morning when he saw them; they lived in filth all dumped in the same cell where they were fed and watered once a day by a couple of dementors. However, although they were the bleakest prisoners, this end of the fortress was actually the best place to be in terms of getting a tiny glimmer of hope back. The dementors didn't like to be at this end of the prison because there was nothing in these inmates for them to feed off, they didn't feel misery or despair, they felt nothing. But it was the only place where James could try to grab a tiny slice of hope and cling on to it for just a few minutes before he had to turn and go back.

Dragging his feet behind him he walked the length of the prison back to the head office where he knocked on the door and entered to find his head sitting behind the desk, his patronus standing guard beside him but letting out little relief. "Potter," he said sullenly, "you will be out of here in three days," he went on wishing that his term was almost up; junior aurors had two months of service but the seniors had to do three months before they could leave overseeing a shift change over and ensuring that the next senior member was fully informed about the inmates. It was the worst job in the world and only the knowledge of a month paid leave afterwards kept them going through the seemingly endless days. "When you leave you will have to go back to the auror office for a short recuperation but we recommend as always that you try to go home to family or friends, loved ones who will bring you out of the reverie you will experience even when you have left these walls. The dementors creep into your very being when you are here for so long; do not expect that you will feel normal again immediately."

James had forgotten what normal felt like; it seemed like years since he had felt it and could barely cling on to one happy memory in order to keep his bulldog glowing; three more days still felt like a lifetime and he could think of nothing beyond those days just yet. "You have done well out here Potter and will be given one month statutory leave to recuperate;, use the time wisely," he tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. James just nodded his head in return not even excited by the prospect of being away from work for so long. "Come to the office on Saturday morning and we will send you back to the ministry;, as you know this is the only floo out of here," he said gesturing to the fireplace behind him, "and it will be closed until then."

"Sir," he nodded as he rose slowly from his seat and walked almost painfully out of the room and down to the staff quarters at the end of the corridor. After an ex death eater had escaped many years before as an animagus clinging to the bottom of a watchwizard's robes the aurors on shift could not even escape the mid ocean fortress at the end of a gruelling watch. Instead they had to stay in specially designed rooms at the other end of prison which had been decorated to try and provide some comfort; but the misery still seeped through the walls. He ate lunch monotonously not even tasting the food which was only slightly better than the rations they were provided with on assignment; then he sat motionless watching the clock tick around to half past one when he would be back on shift again.

The monotony of the job did nothing to alleviate the gloom either as all that was entailed was walking up and down the prison checking that all prisoners were still in their cells; and then at four o clock providing them all with sloppy gruel made up mainly of potatoes and vegetables. The place was bleak, the existence was bleak and he knew there was no way in this world he would ever do anything that could end up with him being in here; a life time of this would be more than he could bear. The only reason that most of the prisoners had not killed themselves was because they didn't even have the energy to do that. James was named for his father's godfather, Sirius Black, who had been an innocent inmate at the prison for almost twelve years before he managed, somehow, to break through the gloom and escape. He could not even begin to comprehend how the man had survived for so long in this terrible place; doing a two month stint had been bad enough but twelve years was more then he could even attempt to comprehend.

At the end of his day he dropped into bed and slept as fitfully as always waking through the night to the sounds of the moaning prisoners and feeling dreadful. Nightmares were common place and he did not know if he even preferred to be asleep or awake; just because he left a nightmare when his eyes opened did not mean he wasn't still living one.

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"Thank you James," Beerney said as he walked into his office on Saturday morning, minutes after he had flooed away from the dreary prison, "your stint is up and you may commence leave at the end of the day! You will need to attend a short recuperation session with a couple of healers here in the department and then you will be free to go. May I recommend spending time with your family?" he went on and James nodded in response. It was strange but he already felt a tiny glimmer of hope now that he was so far away from the place and he found a miniscule part of his brain registering happiness as he thought about his family; and then, quite suddenly, her. His heart lifted a bit when he realised that he could go and see her again, if she had waited for him, and for the first time in two months he actually allowed himself to hope that she might have. I believe there is a letter in your drawer from your family; I am sure you are anxious to read it and start to rebuild your happiness; I remember my own stint in Azkaban," he went on shuddering for a second, "but do not worry it doesn't take as long as you expect to feel normal again!" he smiled warmly and James found himself returning it; his face almost ached as he used the muscles which had permanently put a frown on his face for two months and just that small step made him feel alive again.

When Beerney had gone he located the rolled up parchment in his drawer and slowly unfurled it to see his sister's neat handwriting.

_James,_

_We have been waiting for this day and hope you are not feeling too melancholy. The day you are due to finish your shift is Alby's birthday, in case you have forgotten, and Mum and Dad are holding a party for him at home. Please come and see us all; we've missed you and hope you can stand to try and have a little bit of fun! Don't worry about a present I've bought him a new set of glass test tubes from you (you owe me twentygalleons by the way, nineteen for the test tubes and one for my hard work!) So all you need to worry about is picking out something to wear and making sure you turn up on time! We are all looking forward to seeing you so even if it feels too much make sure you come!_

_Love you brother_

_From Lily._

He smiled again and felt better; it was true that a party was the last thing he felt like going to but he knew it would do him good; he needed to get back to living now; no one had died and he knew it was only the after effects of the dementors that had put him in this mood. He had been hoping to seek her out that night but perhaps if he showed up at the party and left early with an excuse that it was little too much for him he might be able see her as well before the day was over.

He barely had time to shower and change after his recuperation session with the healers who did very little really but advised him on how to stay positive. He supposed the only cure for dementor effects was to get away from them and knew in time he would start to feel better. He was amazed at how different he felt after just a few hours away from them and the terrible thought that he had had for the last two months, that he would never feel normal again, was already starting to recede. After his check up he had returned to his office to sign off work and was greeted by a new secretary who had evidently started while he was in Azkaban, "Mr Potter," she had said sweetly as she knocked on his open door and his head lifted slowly to look at her. A few years ago she would have been his type of woman, long blonde hair, blue eyes and big boobs, the cleavage of which was on obvious display in a tight fitting, low cut white top. It left little to the imagination but even if he had not been in his melancholy mood he would not have looked twice at her now, "I have some forms you need to sign," she had gone on walking over to his desk and leaning over so he could see even further down her plunging cleavage.

"Thank you...?" he'd looked at her then with a disheartened face and waited for her to tell him her name.

"Zelda," she had answered walking around to his side of the desk and putting a hand on his shoulder, "If you can just sign here and here," she'd indicated brushing one of her breasts against his cheek; he had ignored the touch and signed the parchment quickly hoping she would get out of the office so he could leave too. "Thank you," she had said standing back up and walking towards the door and then she had asked "Are you on holiday for long?" knowing that the forms were for statutory leave; she had only been working at the ministry for a few weeks and had mostly been in charge of filing paperwork and getting parchments signed but she had already begun to distinguish different records and papers.

"A month," he had replied standing up and checking his desk drawer for anything he might want to take with him.

"Oh," she had replied in a disheartened voice; she had been hoping it would not be for long as she wanted to get herself acquainted with the handsome young auror.

"Well, if you don't mind I need to go," he then said, not really caring whether he offended her or not; he had been desperate to get back to his own home and the bubblehead girl, clearly trying to come on to him, had only irritated him.

He had passed by a group of people walking down the corridor with Beereny as he left the office minutes later; he didn't recognise any of them and realised they were probably new aurors on foreign exchange, something he had been offered a few times before but had so far not been ready to take.

"Ah, and here is one of our most competent aurors, Mr James Potter, just returned from his stint at Azkaban!" Beereny said in introduction and James tried his best to smile even though he still found it difficult to do so, "our foreign exchange aurors James," he went on confirming his suspicions. "Mr Potter here is the eldest son of Harry Potter, who of course you are all familiar with," the head of department went on sounding as if he was introducing the most famous stars. James glanced around at the four new members of the team who all shook his hand and introduced themselves by name; he tried his best to look pleased to meet them but found it hard. The only female member of the group held on to his hand for a moment as she shook it and she looked at him in an unnerving way through deep dark eyes which made him feel as if he was being scrutinised; he found himself becoming more and more uncomfortable, a feeling he wasn't ready to handle this close to coming out of Azkaban, and excused himself quickly to leave. As he went he felt the tall woman's stare follow him along the corridor to the front of the reception desk where he scooted out quickly without looking behind him again.

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Flooing into the kitchen of Grimmauld place at around half past seven James headed up to the living room where he found the party already in full swing; most of his cousins were there, some had even brought along other friends, and everyone looked to be enjoying themselves. Just looking at them made him feel better already and he knew he had made the right decision to come along. After a crushing hug from his mother and sister and a few handshakes from his cousins his heart felt instantly lighter and when he turned to the window and saw that She was also at the party he felt it leap into his mouth. She was stood with his cousin Victorie and her husband, Teddy, who was bouncing baby Remus up and down in the air; she was watching the little family in awe and chatting to the young and happy looking mother.

"James," she said politely when he approached the little gathering and Teddy immediately launched Remus towards him, "good to see you back!" she went on nodding at him and he smiled at her. "You look-"

"Bloody awful mate!" Teddy had interjected, "Sorry to be so blunt but those dementors don't half have a terrible affect on people."

"Thanks," James replied half laughing and turning to swing his baby cousin up in the air like his father had just been doing. He had only been playing with Remus a few seconds when Salamander, who once again was trying to escape the girls talk he had been subjected to, found him and begged to be rescued. Handing the child back to his mother he nodded politely again at his cousins and then her before allowing himself to be whisked away to the other side of the room with a hidden look of disappointment.

"All they ever talk about is men!" Sal sighed nodding at the group of women he had just left, "Thank Merlin that you're back, I'm not sure I can take another Friday night in the Cauldron without a mate to talk to!"

"They've been dating then?" he asked and found himself jokingly adding, "Even Rose?"

Laughing felt alien but it was also good and he rolled into a long chuckle as Salamander hit him on the arm and replied, "I hope not!"

"So what have I missed?" he asked eying the brunette in the corner briefly before turning back to his best friend.

"Nothing much," Salamander replied, "Dom Sally and Holly, every week, talking about men!"

"Dom has a man?" James asked in shock.

"They all have by the sounds of it; they never stop talking about them!"

"So have you met either of them?"

"Not yet," Salamander replied and James suddenly began to marvel at the ease of holding a conversation, something he had not done properly for two months. He was enjoying not having to think drab and dreary thoughts and was even prepared to hear about the new men in his cousin and her friends' lives.

For the next hour she kept catching his eye and each look made him want to be with her more and more as he kept playing their last kiss over and over in his head; he felt more positive about it now that he wasn't in Azkaban and after seeing that she was alone at the party he hoped that she had really waited for him. He watched her leave the room alone a little later, probably to visit the bathroom, and he excused himself from the conversation he was having with his brother who had been thanking him for the wonderful test tube kit that Lily had picked out. "Must remember to pay her for them," he chuckled before adding, "excuse me," and then he slipped out of the living room door hoping to find a secluded space where they might talk and hopefully recreate the magical moment they had shared before he had left. "Hey," he whispered catching her arm when she walked out of the bathroom on the floor above the living room.

"Hey," she replied, smiling brightly as he pulled her gently in the direction of his old room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She allowed him to lead her into the bedroom and he closed the door behind them before pushing her carefully against it with his body and staring into her deep blue eyes, "I'm glad you're back," she breathed leaning into him and enjoying finally being able to be close to him. She had missed him terribly over the last two months and the only thing which kept her going was the knowledge that he was probably even more depressed than she was due to the nature of his assignment, "I missed you." She would never usually have made so bold a statement to him before he had said it first but the words had left her mouth before she had time to think about them and she held her breath once they had been released.

He smiled at her widely and she let out the breath as he replied, "I missed you too," and leaned down towards her; he did not kiss her though instead he put his arms around her body and pulled her into a tight hug. "I really missed you and...and you waited for me," he added releasing her from the tight grip but still holding her firmly in one arm while the other rested back on the door.

"I told you I would," she whispered breathlessly; she wanted him to kiss her but dared not reach out to initiate it unless he was ready.

"I know but it was so awful in that place and all I ever thought was that you would find someone else, someone more willing to make a...a proper commitment, one out in the open."

"James, I keep telling you I am ready when you are; and if you're not then..." she let the thought slide away desperately hoping that it might never come to that. He kept on just looking at her and she started to feel a little strange; his eyes were gazing into hers as if he was mesmerised and it seemed he wanted to say something but he couldn't quite find the words, "Is everything alright?" she asked a little fearfully.

"Yes," he breathed leaning closer to her mouth with his own, "I just...I just keep thinking about...about the last time we kissed." Her breath caught in her throat as she immediately remembered it too and she nervously bit her bottom lip; she had never been nervous around James before, why was she suddenly feeling that way now? "It was so different...so magical and...I want it to be the same again," he finished cupping her face with the hand which was not holding her waist and ever so slowly moving his lips down to hers; she parted them slightly hoping herself to be lost in the same connection as before.

They locked together slowly, barely touching at first, but he felt that tingle, that different feeling again and in response to it he pushed his head against hers and deepened the kiss; his tongue gently probed her mouth hoping she would accept it; and she did. They stayed locked in the position for a few moments and her hands slid around his back to hold him tight and close to her body, the same body which he pressed against the bedroom door as he became more vigorous and passionate with her. The kiss was everything it had been before and more; it was sensual and exciting and it showed him, and hopefully her, that he was falling deeper and deeper for this girl and though he may not be ready to make a public commitment to her yet he was ready to make a commitment of some kind.

A chorus of Happy birthday from the room below reminded the pair where they were and they reluctantly broke apart panting slightly, not from desire as they usually were, but from the breathtaking kiss they had just shared. His hands were still around her and she had to lean against him to steady herself, "Was...was it the same?" she whispered.

"No," he breathed and she tried to hide the dismay from her eyes, "it was better," he smiled while gradually leaning down to kiss her again and she smiled back as he did so opening her mouth just enough to accept one more longing sensuous kiss. Her hands reached round to the front of his shirt and she slid them up his taught chest feeling him lean closer to her at the touch; he moaned softly before echoing the movement up the back of her t shirt and softly stroking her bare skin. They pulled apart again and he stared into her eyes, "Oh -" he was about to say her name but she cut him off with a finger against his lip when she heard a creak on the landing outside.

"Shhh," she whispered and he pulled her close as he held his breath.

"James?" a voice called knocking on the door and he groaned inwardly before gently pushing her behind it and opening it a crack, "Oh there you are," his Uncle Ron said, "your Mum sent me to look for you; we thought we'd lost you!"

"I just needed a..." a sexy kiss with a gorgeous girl he thought to himself but added, "a minute to myself."

"Got ya," he nodded realising that a party probably wasn't the best way to start his leave after two months in Azkaban, he remembered all too well his own experiences with dementors many years ago, "too many people around?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I'll be back down in a...while," he finished.

"Okay," he said, "I'll let your Mum know you're still here, you know she worries!"

"Thanks," James replied watching as his Uncle turned around and headed back to the stairwell before closing the door and reaching out to her again. "Sorry about that, " he whispered to her as his arms slid round her back, "maybe we should get out of here, meet me at the flat?" he asked leaning in for another kiss and when they parted this time she nodded her head. "I'll wait until you've gone and then excuse myself; just floo straight in and wait for me," he continued opening the door and checking that no one was around. "You go first," he said holding the door open for her; as she passed by him he tapped her bottom lightly and she smiled cheekily before skipping down the stairs and disappearing into the living room glancing back at him briefly and flashing him an enormous smile.

By the time he got into the room she was saying goodbye to his cousins and after thanking Albus for the invite she bid goodnight to his parents; adding a brief, "Goodnight James," as she passed by him she headed down to the kitchen where the floo network had been opened up for the evening. Suppressing the urge to sing and dance because he had told her to go to his house ahead of him, she jumped into the fireplace and whirled out in an explosion of green flames; then she waited, somewhat nervously, in James Potter's flat for him to arrive.

After watching her leave the room James sought out his brother who was stood with their parents and explained that he was tired and wanted to get back home to relax. They nodded their understanding after seeing the gaunt look still haunting his face; they were all well aware that encounters with dementors were horrendous and accepted the fact that he needed a bit of time to recover. "Look after yourself," Ginny said, "and be at Grandma's tomorrow for dinner okay?" she said firmly adamant that she would get him moving around and visiting people, "Three o clock." He nodded his head and turned to leave saying a brief goodbye to Rose and Salamander before heading down to the kitchen to floo back home and enjoy a night filled with the wonderful girl he had just recreated a magical kiss with. He was not desperate to shag her, he just wanted to be around her, but if it led to something else then he would thoroughly enjoy that too!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stepping put of the fireplace in his quiet and seemingly empty flat James stopped and looked around; it was dark and he couldn't sense anyone there; his heart plummeted; had she not taken his word and come to the flat? He felt disappointed as he walked towards the bedroom to check that she wasn't in there; the room was equally dark and empty and he sighed a little as he turned around and walked back across the living room, "Hello?" he started to call, "H-" but he was cut off swiftly as he heard movement behind him and her soft gentle fingers suddenly covered his eyes.

"Hello James," she whispered in his ear making him shudder.

"I thought you weren't here," he whispered back turning on the spot as her hands fell from his face and putting his own hands on her slender waist. She was wearing very little, the stilettos she had worn with her jeans and t shirt and a matching lace bra and pants set. He sighed longingly as he gently pushed her away from him moving his hands from her waist and taking hold of her slender fingers so he could drink her in. In the dark of the room he could only make out her silhouette; the curve of her waist, her hips and her breasts, her long dark hair falling in waves and covering them and he gasped at her exquisiteness as she looked coyly away. "You take my breath away," he whispered stepping forward and holding her cheek in his hand; she leaned into it and closed her eyes as he slowly and sensually kissed her lips with his own. Wrapping their arms around each other they gave in to the kiss which made their hearts beat wildly. James pulled her as close to his body as he cold get her and she almost struggled to breathe against the tightness with which he held her but she did not care; all she cared about was that she was there, with him, and they were alone.

As they pulled apart he looked deep into her eyes and lifted her up slowly; she swung her legs around his waist as he walked towards the wall which he pushed her against and they started to kiss again, more urgently this time. It was vigorous and full of desire; the same desire which was fuelling James; the same desire that she could feel pushed between her legs, throbbing and hard. She was instantly aroused and longed to feel him inside of her as she furiously began to unfasten his shirt and pushed it over his shoulders while his hands searched out the clasp to the pink bra that she wore. He moved her around the room as they undressed and it was only when they were both completely naked that he stopped and placed her down on the floor beside the fire before stepping back and gazing down at her. "What's the matter?" she asked curiously seeing the hungry look in his eye through the reflection of the flames in the fire.

"Nothing," he replied in a barely audible voice, "nothing at all."

"Then come down here," she said softly propping herself up on her elbows and staring at him. Picking up his wand from the pocket of his trousers he pointed it at the flames in the grate to close the floo network and ensure they were not disturbed; he wanted to revel in this woman for as long as he could before the outside world came back to find them. "James," she whispered again when all he did was continue to stare at her, "what is it?" But he shook his head at her as he dropped to his knees in the opening she had created with her legs and then he leaned forwards onto his elbows pushing her back down to the floor so they were chest to chest and she could feel him close to where she wanted him to be, "Take me James," she whispered in his ear but he just continued to gaze into her eyes.

He leaned down to give her one more soft kiss before reaching out for his wand again and whispering, "lay still and close your eyes," then he smiled at her to offer reassurance. She followed his command and laid back with her eyes closed; her heart was beating madly and after a moment or two of feeling and sensing nothing she gasped as she felt a sudden, soft blowing sensation. It was like a soft breeze flowing across her naked body and it felt exciting and sensuous. The sensation travelled from her neck through her breasts and down to her navel where she gasped as it blew between her legs intermittently; it felt almost like a touch without fingers but quickened her excitement to be one with James. Out of curiosity she opened her eyes and saw that he had his wand trained on her; the soft blowing was coming from the end of it as he twisted it over and around her body ever so slowly.

"James," she whispered as he concentrated the feeling on the soft flesh between her legs but she could say no more as she felt the heat rise down there. Without even touching her he was sending shivers up and down her spine as she felt her arousal heighten more and more until with one soft cry her body seemed to explode and shudder; she whispered his name again as her eyes closed and she laid in front of the burning flames feeling satisfied and happy. It was a few moments before she could open her eyes and when she did she saw that he was still sat up on his knees gazing down at her; watching her reaction to his wordless spell had been entrancing; he could bring her to ultimate pleasure without even touching her at all and he was amazed at his own ability. Eventually, while gazing up at him with a serene look on her face, she reached out to him with her hands;, discarding the wand he took them in his own and allowed her to pull him down above her resting his weight on his elbows again and resting his own desire where moments before he had brought her to ecstasy.

He kissed her and then realised he was trembling with nervousness; it was a long time since he had been anxious with a woman and knew the only reason he had ever been nervous with one before was because of how deep his feelings were for the woman beneath him. The two of them had slept together many times but they had never made love before and James knew that this time he would be making love to her, for the first time. "Why are you shaking James?" she asked softly feeling him pressed against her but knowing he was making no move to penetrate her.

"Because I've never made love to you before," he whispered.

"What?" she gasped.

"I've never made love to you before," he repeated staring into her eyes and knowing it was the only thing he wanted to do now, the only thing he ever wanted to do with her, "I want to make love to you."

She didn't respond to his statement; she was too stunned to even speak; had James Sirius Potter, serial womaniser and the man who refused to give out his heart, just said he wanted to make love to her? He never took his eyes from hers as he slowly and gently pushed himself into her; she made a short almost soundless gasp as she felt it but continued to stare back at him; for a moment he didn't move allowing them both to feel and know that they were one. Eventually, however, he pulled himself back and with long, slow movements he pushed himself repeatedly deeper and deeper into the amazing and beautiful woman who made soft longing gasps which echoed his own. When he was close he would stop and she would look curiously back at him, "I don't want this to end," he whispered after the third time to end her confusion and she smiled up and kissed him nodding her head in understanding and agreement. She had shagged James Potter countless times before but this was different; it was intense and sensual, something she had never experienced with him before. He never unlocked his gaze from hers and it felt wonderful to know he was looking at her, really seeing her, and she dared to believe that finally he was ready to make something more of their relationship.

He could hold back no longer and with one final deep thrust, which made her cry out in time to his own groan, he exploded and stopped moving; still staring into her eyes he gently brushed her hair back from her face. After a moment of stillness he leaned in to kiss her again and for the first time their eyes closed and the connection was broken. But, when they opened them and saw each other again they both knew that a deeper, unseen and unspoken connection existed, one which had not been there before but one which they both wanted and welcomed.

They stayed locked in their position for a while; neither one wanted to move; neither one wanted to end the spell which seemed to have occurred unknowingly around them but after a few moments more James lifted his body from hers, moving only to her side and instead of curling up around behind her as he usually would he turned her body gently towards him so she rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped both arms around her. His picked up his wand, which he had discarded beside them, and pointed to the cushions and a soft furry throw which were on the sofa; they floated through the air towards them and James dropped the throw on top of them both before putting his hand back on the soft skin of the exquisite woman in his arms.

Neither of them had spoken but they could still feel the magic which had happened between them; she stroked the hair on his chest with her fingernails as he caressed her waist and hips with his own fingertips. The glow from the fire cast the only light in the room as they both began to drift into unconsciousness; she was about to fall asleep when he whispered her name and she answered with a soft, "Hmmm?" She lifted her head slightly so she could look up at his face which he had moved to stare down at her.

"I think I'm falling in love with you," he whispered and she gasped.

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_She needed to find a way to get closer to him; to get him where she needed him; and it wasn't going to be easy. Her job meant that they were working in close proximity, or would be when he returned there, but it was still not enough. She needed to find a way to get even closer; a way to have him in a situation she could take advantage of; but how could she orchestrate that? What would present the perfect opportunity? Would it be easier to use a social situation or take advantage of a work related one? She would have to think about it for a while longer, but only a little while, he was still waiting and she needed to show her worth, soon._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I don't want to go to work!" she sighed stroking his cheek.

"Then stay here with me!" he whispered in her ear as he nibbled it gently.

"I can't! Some of us don't have a month's leave; if I don't go in the boss will do his nut!"

"We'll tell him that I kidnapped you; let me get into trouble!"

"Like you can ever put a foot wrong!" she joked. "Oh," she moaned when his lips travelled down her neck kissing her intermittently as his hands began to stroke intimate areas of her body, "I can't," she moaned.

"You can," he whispered leaning up on his elbows and locking her arms by her side as she tried to get out of bed then he trailed his kisses along the top of her chest and down to the luscious breasts which excited him more than ever. "I won't take long!" he chuckled moving to lay between her legs and pushing them apart with his knees. As his mouth closed over one of her nipples she relented the half hearted push she was giving him to escape from his caress and moaned softly.

"James," she whispered and he returned her name in an equally excited and hungry voice as he pushed himself into her and rose and fell above her swiftly.

The result was that she then ended up running around his bedroom in a panic grabbing everything she needed as she was going to be late to work. She glared at him but could not be angry as she had wanted it as much as he did; now however she was a mess and had ten minutes to get to the ministry and up to her office before the boss caught her. "Argh," she shrieked as she rifled through her handbag.

"What's the matter?" James asked sitting up in the bed.

"I don't have my badge! Oh I have to get more organised when I'm staying here I forgot to bring clean underwear last time!"

"I remember," he chuckled wiggling his eyebrows as he recalled the day he knew she had walked around the ministry all day with nothing beneath her long dark brown work robes.

"James," she shrieked throwing a pillow at him which had fallen to the floor when they made love, "I'll have to go without it today; Beerney's going to go mad!"

"Why don't you start leaving a few bits here," he said casually as he stretched and yawned, "then you don't always have to go home first and get changed."

"What?" she gasped, "are you...are you serious?"

"Of course," he replied reaching out for a pair of trousers which he had dropped on a chair by his bed the night before, "why?"

"Because...well how are you going to explain that to people?"

"Maybe I won't need to for much longer," he said coyly standing up and walking towards her.

"James Potter are you getting serious on me?" she asked half joking and half hopeful. It had been almost two weeks since he had said he loved her and they had barely spent a night apart since then; she was completely in love with him too and hoped that now they had reached another milestone it would not be long before they could officially be a couple. She still refused to push him into it knowing he would do it when he was good and ready; but she waited patiently everyday for him to say or show that the time had come.

"Is that a problem?" he asked taking her in his arms and giving her a soft kiss.

"No," she replied barely audibly, "only that I really don't want to go into work now!" He laughed and kissed her again, passionately, before walking her to the door of the bedroom and over to the fireplace where she reluctantly jumped in and prepared to disappear. "I have to go out with the girls tonight," she said to him wishing she could come straight back here and talk; it was her best friend's birthday and the girls, most of whom were members of James' family, were going out alone to the Three Broomsticks so she wouldn't even be able to meet him slyly in the cellar doorway.

"I know," he nodded at her, "come back here when you're finished; I'll be at the Cauldron with Salamander and my brothers but I won't be home late. I'll wait in there!" he laughed cocking his head towards the bedroom they had just vacated and she smiled at him. "Now get to work and find out what Beerney's got in store for me next week when I'm back!" he finished patting her bottom and watching as she threw floo powder into the air whispering for the Ministry floo.

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The day seemed to be dragging endlessly for her as she sat in her office filling in paperwork for the aurors; it had been bad enough going to work everyday when she knew James was out at Azkaban but having to go in now, while he was luxuriating in the bed they had shared almost every night for the last couple of weeks, was tantamount to torture. They worked in the same department but rarely ran into each other on a day to day basis which meant they had had no trouble hiding their secret relationship at work. She was quite high up in the administration department and had actually worked under his ex girlfriend, Annemarie, when she had first got the job almost a year ago. Of course James had known she worked at the department the first time he had taken her home but he was not unused to shagging colleagues even before he went out with Annemarie. They always left for work separately and had nothing at all to do with each other in the office unless they passed in the corridor when they would give one another a polite greeting.

At lunchtime she passed the pile of parchments she had been working on all morning to the newest assistant, Zelda, who so far had managed to do nothing more than annoy her on a daily basis; she walked around the office in barely any clothes holding meaningless conversations with people which only proved she had an IQ average of around seventy five. "Can you file these for me?" she asked the blonde haired girl when she stepped into the office at quarter to twelve, "and then you can go to lunch, Zelda."

"Thank you Miss," she replied taking the pile from the end of her desk and walking back out without another word; she always found it strange to be called Miss at work by people who were around her age but she was in a higher position and knew it was used to show chain of command, even in the administration department.

She had managed to avoid the head of the department, Mr Beerney, all morning and so had not been reprimanded for not wearing her badge yet; he was a stickler for the admin staff wearing them though he let the aurors get away with murder. At twelve on the dot though she grimaced as she passed him in the corridor on her way out for lunch, "How is anybody supposed to know your name Miss..." he chided angrily, "if you never wear your badge." She cursed James as she looked apologetically at her boss and tried not to cower under his stare;he had wanted her at the flat by half past five the night before and after racing home and changing she had grabbed her work robes and thrown them into a bag but left the small metal badge on her nightstand.

"Sorry Mr Beerney," she said.

"Just make sure you have it on Monday," he growled.

"Yes Sir," she nodded as she passed him by.

When she returned after lunch she could hear a familiar voice drifting through the main door to the department and as she turned into the office she noticed him standing at the reception desk where Zelda and one of the other receptionists were laughing at a joke or tale he had just told. The blonde haired new girl was stood right next to him at the desk and as she watched for a few minutes while they continued their conversation she noticed that the girl kept pushing her hip up against James'. Hiding the tinge of green from her eyes she walked confidently into the department and up to the desk where she nodded at the girl behind it before saying politely, "Back from Azkaban Mr Potter?"

"Yes, Miss..." he pretended to squint and look for the missing badge on her chest while smiling cockily and then added, "sorry without your badge I'm afraid I don't know your name!"

"It's-" Zelda started.

"Thank you Zelda," she interrupted, "but Mr Potter is well aware of my name even when I am not wearing my badge; I have worked here for a year now. And when you have finished being chatted up I need a few files bringing down from the upstairs office if you don't mind."

"Yes Miss," the girl replied as she turned to walk back to her office and caught a sly look from James who flashed the briefest of smiles at her. At the end of the corridor she heard Zelda squeal childishly again and she turned to see her leaning on James as if to catch her balance; her hand resting on his chest and she grimaced. She completely trusted James, even though he was still keeping their secret under wraps, but she was not sure how much she trusted the new girl who was obviously coming on to him in the most unsubtle way possible. She was used to seeing people fawning over James, it happened everywhere; and she had seen it in the office even when he was seeing Annemarie; James was a handsome man and she knew many girls who were desperate for some of his attention. She smiled slyly to herself then as she remembered that she was currently the only one getting that attention from him, even if it was hidden from the rest of the world.

Half an hour later Zelda had brought the files she had asked for but one was missing and instead of sending for the incompetent girl again she decided to go searching for them herself. Using a short cut James had shown her through the back of a book stack in the research room she climbed the stairs and came out in a quiet upstairs corridor; she passed the door to a supply closet and shrieked as the door opened quickly and a hand grabbed hold of her. She was dragged into the small, dark closet where she was pushed against the now closed door and a familiar smell wafted past her, "Missing something," said a husky voice as a thin folder was waved under her nose.

"James," she chided in the darkness, "you took it?"

"Well how else was I supposed to get you alone?" he asked sliding one of his hands along the curve of her waist and up her body to her face where he held her cheek and leaned down to kiss her vigorously, "it...was...easy...to...get...it...away...from... that...bimbo," he went on intermittently kissing her lips as she smiled.

"You looked like you were having fun out there with her," she said, "she's just your type, blonde hair, big boobs and cotton wool between her ears."

"Was, my type," he corrected, "in case you haven't noticed I'm hiding in a supply closet with a stunningly beautiful brunette who has much more than cotton wool between her ears, though she does have a fair sized pair of boobs!" he chuckled putting his hand over one and massaging it gently. "I'm not interested in her; she was just easy to sweet talk so I could sneak this folder out of her pile and get you alone!" He leaned in and kissed her again then pushing her further into the door as he waved his wand casually and ignited the heavily sooted gas lamp on the wall above them.

"And why would you need to get me alone?" she asked cheekily seeing the playful light in his eyes reflected by the slight glimmer that the gas lamp gave.

"Because you've been naughty Miss..." he pretended to look down at her badge again pulling his head back and inspecting her boobs with his hands, "how is anybody supposed to know your name when you don't wear a badge?" he went on in an almost perfect imitation of their boss. "I think you need to be taught a lesson so you remember to wear it in future."

"And exactly how do you intend to do that?" she asked as he leaned down to kiss her neck; she was still pinioned against the door by his body and didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Well first," he began huskily as he continued to kiss her neck sensually whilst pulling her hair out of the way with one hand, "you need a little spanking," he went on softly patting her bottom with his other hand and then pulling her close to him so she could feel his desire against her. "And then," his kisses trailed along her shoulders as he pulled back the top of her blouse, "a good shagging ought to show you what's what," he chuckled pushing himself between her legs and grinning.

"James, you're insatiable," she giggled in reply feeling her body keel to his as her arms wrapped around his body, "but I'm working."

"Then take a break," he whispered leaning back and slowly unbuttoning her blouse to slide his hands inside it.

"What if we get caught? Someone might hear us," she went on.

"Muffliato," he whispered pointing his wand at the door and then dropping it into his jeans pocket; his hands left the inside of her blouse then and trailed down her legs to the bottom of her full length ministry robe skirt. They slid beneath it and up her soft legs until they reached the delicate cotton pants that she wore, "Oh," he moaned, "I was hoping you'd really forgotten those along with your badge! Oh well, I'll just have to deal with that as well," he went on sliding the thin material down her legs. He discarded them and lifted her skirt up again so he could see her full bare legs; then he lifted her up and pushed her against the door of the room; she wrapped them around his back as he kissed her again, passionately and hard. The door rattled from their movements and he swung her around to face a wall which shared itself with another old storeroom; she gasped at the fierceness of his move but wrapped her hands around his back and pulled his head to rest between her breasts which he freed from their bra in one swift movement.

"James," she groaned deeply feeling her own desire quickening and he quickly grabbed up his wand and used it to hover her against the wall as he swiftly unfastened his trousers and released the throbbing penis from inside it. He pushed into her quickly and moaned quietly; the same moan which she echoed over and over again as he pushed her further and further to the boundaries of passion; it culminated in them both crying out simultaneously as James stopped moving and she wrapped her arms around his head and pulled it between her breasts again. He whispered her name repeatedly as he kissed them furiously and she breathed in and out raggedly feeling her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"You are amazing," he whispered lifting his head up and looking at her face; she looked dishevelled but sated. Her blouse was open and her bra sat above her large breasts while her long brown skirt was wrapped around her waist. They were still joined as one person and James made no attempt to move for a short while.

Eventually when their heartbeats had almost regulated she whispered reluctantly, "I have to get back to work; I'm already in Beerney's bad books and I don't think this will go down all that well with him."

"Tell him it's therapy," he whispered making no move to let her go but kissing her shoulders again.

"Therapy?" she asked looking at him curiously and touching his face with her fingertip.

"For me, after being in Azkaban!" he chuckled staring at her with an impish look on his face. "It's the best cure I've found so far!" he went on realising just how quickly he had got over his experience in the wizarding prison; something he wholeheartedly put down to the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Not that I'm complaining but how come you came in today?" she asked quietly.

"I got bored in bed alone," he teased, "and wanted to see you, or rather do you!"

"Is that all you think about?"

"Well it's not my fault that you're so sexy and because I'm off work at the moment my mind keeps wondering to your beautiful, naked body, which I won't be able to get my hands on until much later!"

"James," she whispered coyly enjoying the compliment as he finally let her legs fall down to the floor and her skirt fell around them. "I really want to go back to work now," she chided re-fastening her open blouse before picking up her knickers and sliding them back up her legs beneath the skirt. He watched her dressing and smiled as he fastened his trouser zip and picked up the folder he had slipped out of Zelda's pile when she was laughing at his joke and dropping her hand on top of his. Two years ago he would have hankered after her like a dog on heat until he had shagged her; and the obvious attempts she was making to steer him in that direction now would have amused him and turned him on. However now she just came across as desperate and while he would not offend the girl he knew there was no way he would ever go near her now that he had such a marvellous woman to love.

"You'd better go out first," she said after straightening up her clothes and running her fingers through her dark waves, "don't want anyone to catch us!" she chuckled. Though the comment was completely innocent on her part he still felt a pang as he remembered that he was still keeping them hidden away and he realised that sidling into work for a quick shag with the girl no one even knew he was seeing could look to her like he was just using her. "What's the matter?" she asked seeing the frown cross his face, "are you feeling guilty again?"

"No," he lied turning away so she could not see the truth in his eyes.

"I was only kidding," she went on turning his face to look at hers, "stop it," she went on leaning up to kiss his lips. "I quite like sneaking around, it's exciting!" she finished thinking over the lust fuelled sex they had just shared. He smiled at her knowing she was just trying to ease his conscience but appreciating it all the while; she was a patient and understanding girl but he knew one day that the patience and understanding would run out.

He left her with one more longing kiss and then checked the corridor before hurrying out of it and back down to the reception desk. As he approached he found the blonde girl talking to a different familiar looking girl who he had had little contact with lately, even though they still worked in the same department. "James," she said when her head lifted at the sound of his footsteps on the corridor.

"Annemarie," he replied suddenly wishing that he had _her_ at his side as he suddenly had an overwhelming urge to show his ex-girlfriend that he was happy again, with someone else, someone he knew he could trust. He knew at that point that he was completely over the sheepish looking girl standing beside the reception desk and could not now recall why he had ever favoured her over the woman he now loved; someone who he had actually known a lot longer than Annemarie.

"How...how are you?" she asked when he stopped at the desk to say goodbye to Zelda.

"Fantastic," he answered thinking over the last twenty minute he had spent locked in a supply cupboard with a woman worth ten of her, "thank you, and you?" he went on brightly.

"Good...good, you know," she replied looking guiltily away from him.

"Well I must get back to my days of leisure," he went on smiling at the blonde girl eying him seductively. "Zelda, Annemarie," he said nodding at each one in turn and then he glanced back down the corridor behind him to catch the eye of the gorgeous brunette walking up it still looking a little bit flustered as she headed for her office. He winked inconspicuously at her and she smiled before noticing who was stood at the reception desk; her smile turned to a frown as he disappeared through the main entrance and disappeared; leaving James Potter in bed every morning was bad enough but being left after a thoroughly enjoyable and passionate shag in the office was even worse and she wasn't quite sure how she was going to get through the rest of the day.

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At five o clock she closed the last folder of parchments that she had been working on and tidied her desk up before leaving her office and walking down the corridor to the elevator. She was taking it her up to her friend's office, also at the Ministry, where they were meeting before heading back to her house to get ready together. Going out was the last thing she felt like doing this particular Friday night; as James was not working he had kept her up late every night for the last week and though she enjoyed their late night steamy sex sessions followed by long talks into the early hours she was absolutely beaten. She currently wanted to do nothing more than crawl into bed for a long nap before going back to his flat for another night of passion, if he was still up to it after two sessions already! But it was her best friend's birthday so she donned her happiest smile and tried to wipe away the traces of tiredness on her face which were becoming harder and harder to explain. Last week one of her friends had commented on the deep bags under her eyes and suggested she go to see a healer, perhaps her Aunt Ginny, in case she needed an iron replenishing potion for her blood. The only thing she needed was a sleep replenishing potion so she could go the distance with James at the moment but she had simply nodded her head and said she would if she didn't feel better soon.

Her evening at the Three Broomsticks was fun even though she couldn't drag James into a seedy corner for a quick kiss; all the Weasley girls were there to celebrate their cousin's birthday and she listened and nodded along politely as they speculated again on James' love life since his split with Annemarie. Of all the Potters and Weasley's who were not still in school he was the only single one now, to the rest of the world anyway, barring Charlie Weasley who was never going to settle down, and they were constantly discussing the fact that they never saw him taking anyone home anymore. She just laughed along and agreed with them that maybe he was changing all the while secretly knowing it was because he loved and wanted her, but in secret. This was the only time she would get fed up of James' need to hide their relationship; listening to their ideas of who to set him up with and why they would be perfect for him was exhausting and she knew if they ever tried to do it he would struggle to find a way of getting out of it.

By midnight she was almost asleep in the booth and after waiting for two or three other members of their party to leave she excused herself and said she really needed to get some rest; a stern look from her friend made her promise to talk to their Aunt Ginny soon. She left via the floo network quietly whispering the address of James' flat so that no one would hear her. True to his word he was sat up in bed reading a wizarding magazine when she arrived; he dropped it on the floor immediately and beckoned for her to join him in bed. Undressing quickly she climbed in beside him and leaned in to snuggle against his chest, "Everything okay?" he asked sincerely as she sighed a little.

"Yeah, I'm just so tired," she replied, "you never let me get any sleep!"

"Well you shouldn't be so sexy then," he giggled stroking her naked body with his hand as it snaked around her back to hold her close.

"Sorry," she breathed with a smile.

"Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?"

"Yes," she replied smiling up at him. He hugged her close and she started to trace circles on his chest before closing her eyes. "What's the matter with you?" she sighed at him when he didn't attempt to turn her on; her eyes opened again wearily.

"You need some sleep," he replied hugging her close once more and he watched her eyes close again; she was asleep within seconds and he left her but lay awake himself for a while longer worrying a little about her mood; he knew she was getting fed up of being a secret, whatever she said to the contrary, and now that he was in love with her he knew he should really bring them out into the open. However it was harder than he thought it would be and a tiny part of him was also reluctant to share her with the rest of the world. He quite liked that they could be alone with each other without the constant need to attend things together, like the weekly family dinner; but he also knew it was taking its toll and would soon start to affect their actual relationship as well, a relationship he was enjoying being in more than he had ever enjoyed being with Annemarie.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thank you as always to my loyal reviewers it is so good to hear what people think of my stories I love to write them and share them with others who love the characters as much as I do! Please keep reading and reviewing!!**

Chapter 8

On James' first day back at the office they flooed in one behind the other from his flat and made out that they had arrived at the same time; then they walked up to the auror department like any other two colleagues who might have arrived in the atrium at the same time and decided to accompany each other up to work. On the main corridor James' office appeared first and with a sly glance around he noticed that they were alone so he planted the swiftest of kisses on her lips and then patted her bottom as she continued along the hall which led down to her office. James entered his and sat down behind the mahogany desk staring at the empty space upon it; it was rarely empty even when he had been away for months at a time as there would be case files on it when he returned; but as there were no case files to deal with for Azkaban he had nothing waiting for him. Luxuriating in the emptiness of it, and subsequent lack of work load, he remembered that it would not be long before the desk would be piled high again with folders and as if reading his mind the door opened and Zelda walked in carrying a pile of files. "Mr Beerney asked me to pass these on Mr Potter," she said quietly dropping them onto his desk and leaning over so he had a perfect view straight down her cleavage; he glanced at it but only thought as far as the fact that it didn't look as soft as the one he was used to seeing now.

"Thank you Zelda," he nodded looking at her face when she stood back up; he thought he saw a glimmer of disappointment cross her face but he ignored it as he took the top folder and glanced at the label on it. The folder looked old and dusty and he knew it would not be a recent case that he had to read up on.

"Can I get anything else for you Mr Potter?" she asked blinking rapidly at him and putting a sweet smile on her face.

"No thank you," he replied without even looking up so he missed the angry look which crossed her face this time as she turned around and walked back out of the room; she pulled the door to quite hard but James barely noticed that either as he started to read the first page of the top folder. The first thing he saw inside was a picture of his father and he became immediately intrigued wanting to know what the case was going to be about.

"James," said a voice an hour later from his doorway; he had been so engrossed in the case file he was leafing through that he had not even realised the time.

"Sir," he replied glancing up and seeing his boss standing there.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you have been reading this," he went on indicating the dusty folder as he walked towards the chair on the opposite side of the desk to James. "I did speak to your father about this case first and he said it was about time you knew what happened." He looked sympathetically at his young auror who was one of the best on his team; Beerney had tried to get him out of his term at Azkaban when it had come up hating to lose such a good auror especially when he knew this case needed re-opening. However he had reluctantly let him go and suspended the case for three months but he knew it could be put off no longer. "James we have reason to believe that Lestrange might be the High Lord out in Russia who is attempting a movement against the ministry there. Some of your colleagues have been trailing him since new evidence came to light and have collected together information about his whereabouts. After this," he gestured at the folder again, "he went back into hiding and we heard nothing more about him; the case was closed, but never permanently, and the department have always feared that he might resurface. We have reason to believe that the Malfoys joined him when they disappeared a few years ago but fortunately it appears MacNair did not manage to recruit many others. Some of the more loyal, or perhaps wary, ex death eaters have passed on information that support our theories of Lestrange being the High Lord and we are hoping to get a small team together who might be able to track him.

"Of course we will need to take more precautions than last time," he went on nodding again at the parchments spread across James' desk, "and infiltrating their group is out of the question; it may have happened years ago but he will remember it and will be prepared for anything. I have asked Zabini if he will be part of the group and was hoping you would join him with a couple of other aurors?"

"Of course sir," James answered feeling proud that he had been asked to go on what was obviously a dangerous but important mission.

"I gave you these details to go through beforehand so you would know what they are capable of; obviously you will need to be very careful and your father said that your mother would not be too happy to know what you are doing but I need my best aurors on this case James and I consider you to be one of those."

"Thank you, Sir," he said modestly.

"I have given Zabini a copy of these case files too to look through and was hoping you would be able to meet today to begin your discussions. I imagine you will need time to get things together but I was hoping you would be able to go out to Russia in a week's time; I have explained this to Zabini who, as a senior auror, will be in charge of the mission and he is keen to get away as soon as possible. I know he wants to include the newly transferred auror from the Russian office, Martika, who I don't think you have met yet and I think he asked for Jordan Knight too."

"We met briefly," James said to his superior shuddering a little as he remembered the severe looking woman he had met the day he had finished his stint in Azkaban.

"Well I'm sure you will get to know her very well during the mission; she is a good auror and has so far not been out on any assignments with the British department. Anyway," Beerney smiled as he stood up to walk out of the room, "welcome back!" He chuckled as he opened the door and left James to go back to the parchments which detailed how his father had attempted to infiltrate a group of dark wizards, was kidnapped by them and had had his memory wiped while the auror department gave up on him.

He had known that his father had been on many dangerous missions and knew he had not been around for his birth or his mother's pregnancy but he had always assumed it was a mission which had detained him for so long and not an evil wizard who had never been captured. He felt as if he owed it to his mother and father to take this assignment and try to find the man who was now trying to make his mark in another country; he would remain professional throughout and treat it like any other case but would feel a sense of revenge if he finished it successfully.

By the end of the day he had met with Zabini and been introduced again to the new Russian auror who his superior had thought would be a good ally; she knew the area they were going to very well having been in the Russian ministry for a few years. Martika was older than James but was about his height;, she was quiet and had a strange quality about her as if she knew something that he didn't; it slightly unnerved him and he still did not like the way she looked him up and down as if assessing him all the time. By the end of the meeting he was feeling a bit concerned about having to go on assignment with her but he was a professional and thought by the end of it they would probably be getting on well;,after all she was new and didn't know people very well yet.

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"_My Lord it is not proving to be as easy as I had first hoped," the girl said with her head held high, "Imperious is not going to work and I need to find another way to get closer to him._

"_Well you should get a move on; I am tired of waiting!" he barked back fixing a deathly stare on her; one which would make most people quiver in their boots but she did not waver._

"_You shall have what we desire my Lord, soon," she continued bowing her head._

"_I had better," he replied folding his fingers under his chin, "I have waited a long time and I can be patient enough to wait a little longer to succeed; I suppose I will have to; but I am growing ever more eager about getting the process...started," he said in a sly voice._

"_Yes, my Lord, so am I. But he has been out of work for a month which has made contacting him difficult; however I have a new plan to set out on which will hopefully get us back on track and bring you want we want as soon as possible." _

"_I hope so my dear, for your sake as well as mine," he drawled looking at her through dark eyes, "I have withdrawn our wizards from their posts and ordered no further action to be taken, for now. We will need to be patient; but there is only so much patience that I have." He glared menacingly at her then but she still did not cower as she nodded her head in response. _

"_Yes, My Lord," she whispered as she retreated from the room and apparated back to where she needed to be in order to carry out the next part of her plan._

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On Friday morning James sighed as he rolled over in bed and woke the pretty girl still sleeping in it; he was so used to waking up with her now and was loathe to leave again knowing that sharing a tent with other aurors was nothing like curling up to this beautiful girl. He sighed and started to stoke her face as she stirred fluttering her eyelids open and looking up at him, "I'm going to miss this," he murmured softly dropping soft kisses on her face.

"So am I," she sighed knowing that this time it would be that much harder when he left as she felt that they were now in a more serious relationship, one which involved love, even if they were still living it in secret.

"Do I need to ask you to wait for me again?" he asked shyly stroking hair back from her face.

"Of course not," she replied staunchly pulling herself up in the bed, "I'll be right here," she went on placing a hand on his chest and stroking it gently, "because I love you." He leaned up to kiss her then and they started the day in the same way they often did; James may have lost his old ways with women but he had not lost his old insatiable appetite for sex.

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked as she reluctantly rose from the warm comfortable bed.

"The Cauldron with your lot!" she replied turning to look at him as she fastened her bra, "There are so many of you that there's always someone's birthday! I got invited along too seeing as I'm usually with your dear cousin on a Friday evening."

"I might just have to make the effort to call in and buy her a birthday drink then won't I?"

"I'm sure it will be such a chore!" she giggled pulling work robes on before dragging the covers off the bed to force him to get up too, "Come on if I'm going in then you have to too!"

"Are you coming back here later?" he asked coyly.

"Where else would I be going? I practically live here these days!" she laughed looking around the room which was beginning to fill with a few of her belongings. James had managed to clear out a couple of drawers so she could at least store a few clothes and pieces of underwear along with bits of make up and a hair brush. She was careful to make sure none of it was left in any other room so that no questions would be asked if he had callers but in the bedroom she had managed to strew her things around a little bit.

"Maybe that's something else we should consider," he said with half laugh.

"Hey, don't get too serious!" she laughed back, "Coming out of our closet would be a start!" She said it with a chuckle but saw that guilty look cross his face even at her joking words so she walked over to the bed where he was sat searching for clothes and kissed him softly. "One step at a time," she whispered secretly feeling pleased that James might be considering becoming more serious but knowing it could never happen until he was comfortable enough to bring them out into the open. "Now up for work, you have lots to do today! I'll see you in the Cauldron later."

"And here afterwards?" he repeated lightly and she nodded with a soft smile on her face, "Listen," he went on grabbing her hands as she turned to leave the room, "tomorrow."

"What about it?" she asked curiously.

"Tomorrow you are all mine," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Just me...and you," he concluded leaning up to kiss her again and then letting her go so she could walk out of the room. "And dress warmly," he added as she reached the door, then with a quick wave she was gone and he got himself ready for a long day of checking everything was in place for his upcoming mission.

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Flooing into the bar at eight thirty she located the Weasley clan and walked past James who was stood at the bar with the husband of one of the clan, Salamander Longbottom; she gave him the briefest of smiles as she passed by and sat in the booth next to Dominique, "Hey," her friend whispered kissing her on the cheek, "how was your week?"

"It's been better," she replied thinking back on Monday night when she had learned once again that James would have to leave her.

"Here, get a firewhiskey shot down you, her birthday treat from our dear cousin James!" she said holding a glass full of red liquid up for her as she took a separate one in her own hand. "Cheers James," Dominique called holding the glass up to her cousin, who came to sit opposite them in the booth, and she copied the gesture winking at him and once again flashing the briefest of smiles. She then enjoyed an hour of easy conversation with his family, including his sister, while James and Sal drank bottles of butterbeer back at the bar.

James watched on smiling at his family and watching her interact with them; it was so obvious that she got on well with them and had actually known most of them better than she had known him for a long time. He continued to watched as she engaged in easy conversation with his sister too which made him smile as he knew her opinion of any woman he dated would be important to him. He was still gazing intermittently at her at around quarter to ten when he noticed a familiar girl walking towards him at the bar; he grimaced slightly as he realised what she might attempt to do, "Zelda," he said when she reached him.

"Good evening James," she answered looking at him through fluttering eyelashes, "can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thank you Zelda," he replied but she looked back at him with a soft pout.

"Go on James, please, just a shot of firewhiskey," she smiled coyly at him and he heard a cough from his left as he was nudged from behind by Salamander.

"Just one," he said to her and a broad grin spread across her face as she leaned over the bar and asked for two firewhiskey shots. As Tom served them both Salamander left to go to the toilet and when he returned he sought out his wife at the table leaving James to be chatted up by the pretty, if slightly dull sounding, girl at the bar. It had been a long time since he had shagged a random girl and no matter what his protests Salamander knew that he needed a little nudge in the right direction.

From the booth she watched as Zelda threw back her head and poured the firewhiskey shot down it wincing as she swallowed and grabbing hold of James arm to steady herself; she smiled up at him coyly when she was steady but kept her hand on his arm and fluttered her eyelashes again. Across the room she continued to watch them both hiding her jealousy but flashing her gaze at him intermittently through the conversation that she was having.

"Have you seen James?" Dominique suddenly said stopping everyone's conversations abruptly, "Looks like he might be back to his old ways after all!"

"Hmmm, she's definitely his type," Rose continued.

"Yeah, the wrong type," Victoire expressed turning her head away and echoing the green eyed girl's sentiments which she kept in her head, "he's always picked the wrong girls; why can't he find someone with a bit more about them that a pair of boobs?" she tutted as she turned to look at the pair again. "I mean how desperate can the girl be? She's practically throwing herself at him; he'll shag her and do nothing more. When will he realise that he can't be like Uncle Charlie forever?"

"Knowing James, never," Lily whispered, "Annemarie really hurt him and it will take him a long time to trust someone like that again, if he ever manages it. But I do agree Victoire he's not going to make any progress in that direction unless he abandons the blonde bimbos and tries to find someone else."

"Can we not set him up with someone?" Rose suggested.

"What about any of you?" Dominique asked turning to the few non-Weasley clan girls at the table, all different friends from their school days, "Anyone have a mind to go on a date with our dear cousin? Holly? You've been there before so at least there won't be any nasty surprises!"

"No thanks!" Holly shot back, "Once is plenty!"

"Penelope then?" Dominique teased and the flustered girl began to splutter a negative response.

"You can't inflict him on them Dom," Victoire shrieked at her cousin, "imagine the nightmare; they have far too much intelligence to be placated with a sweet smile and a pat on the bottom when he turfs them out the next morning! Sorry girls," she went on turning to look them all in turn, "but I wouldn't recommend him!"

"But if we can't find him someone who isn't intelligent then it has to be a bimbo like her which is kind of defeating the object isn't it?" Dom said glaring at her sister for contradicting her idea;, they were all pretty girls and she thought James would have been lucky to date any of them; they could easily turn his head a little if they were given the chance.

"What about Jennie from the Muggle Relations department?" Rose suddenly interjected making an 'oo' sound as she thought about it, "She'd be prefect for him, blonde hair and big boobs but she has something about her;, granted she's not the most powerful wand at Ollivander's but she did at least score Acceptable in most of her owls, that must be at least two grades above his usual type! Oh yes Jennie would be great to get him started; she's not seeing anyone at the moment and it couldn't hurt to set them up, if it doesn't work what have we lost?"

"A friend when he doesn't floo her ever again!" Victoire laughed.

"Look girls can't you just leave him alone to get a decent shag before he goes off again for who knows how long? It's only been what? Ten months since he split with Annemarie? Let his wounds heal! He's only thinking as far as tonight; leave him be and let him have his way with her!" Sal barked at them all as he nodded at the girl clearly wanting to sleep with him. He wanted his friend to be left alone; this was the first time he had seen his best mate chatting to a girl in a long time, though admittedly he didn't appear to be having the best time.

Back at the bar James looked helplessly at his family; he had tried to excuse himself a few times explaining that it was his cousin's birthday but Zelda kept coming up with a new, and usually slightly less interesting, topic of conversation as she ordered another round of drinks. Obviously unused to consuming vast amounts of firewhiskey she was already swaying and he had had to hold her up a few times now even though she still had not taken her hands from his arm yet; she was desperately coming on to him and he was finding it repulsive. The kind of girl he would have already been back at the flat with two and a half years ago was now doing absolutely nothing for him and he longed to be rescued from her company.

He looked over at the booth and caught her looking back at him; he could see something in her eyes though she was hiding it well and he sincerely hoped that she knew he was not the slightest bit interested in the girl fawning all over him. He had no suitable reason to give Zelda that would make her leave him alone and at that point he wished that she could be the one to walk over and rescue him by giving him a huge kiss on the lips. The more he watched her talking and joking with his family, while listening to the inane babble coming from his current companion's mouth, the more he wanted everyone to know that she was his girl. He suddenly realised at that moment that there was no point in hiding it anymore; he loved her and if everyone knew they would surely be happy for him; he had held off this long because he was scared to trust someone again but keeping her a secret would do nothing to change that; and didn't he trust her already? She had been patient and understanding of him for going on nine months and as far as he knew she had not strayed, even when he had left her and told her to see other people. She had waited for him and returned to him showing nothing but love for him; he could see that she trusted him; why could he not give her the same trust? She wasn't Annemarie; she was a completely different person with a completely different nature and James knew their relationship was completely different to the one he had had with the girl who had broken his heart. The girl he now cared for no longer and the girl who he felt strangely grateful to because she had led him to find this wonderful person; the one watching him right now with goodness knows what going through her head.

He made the decision there and then that when he came back from this mission he would tell the world about his new relationship and introduce her as his girlfriend, the woman he loved above any other.

"Zelda, please excuse me," James said non too politely when he noticed his remarkable woman leave the booth and head to the toilets, which was the excuse he usually used to drag her into the cellar doorway. Without waiting for a response from the inebriated girl he walked away from the bar and missed the scowl that crossed Zelda's face. He caught her in their usual place where he showed her exactly how he felt about her with a deep enthusiastic kiss which she returned longingly and he managed to slip away shortly after without being trapped by the annoying girl from work again. He waited in bed for her to join him, which she did not long afterwards, and they curled up to sleep together in a cuddled position.

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"Where are we going?" she asked excitedly the next morning after spending a lazy hour in bed, talking, kissing but not making love for a change. The only clue he had given her to what they were doing was to wear warm clothes and it wasn't much of a clue at all really.

"It's a surprise! Come on," he replied wrapping his cloak around him and reaching out his hand for hers, "just trust me," he added tugging her into his embrace when their hands clasped together. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and asked in a low voice, "Do you?"

"Do I what?" she replied.

"Trust me?"

"Of course I trust you James," she replied smiling and then he leaned down to kiss her again as he simultaneously turned on the spot and side-along apparated her to the place he had picked out in his head. It was somewhere he had once been to on a mission, years ago, a secluded place where they had set up camp for a night. The squeezing sensation of apparition pushed them closer together and their lips squashed against each others' as they travelled through time and space appearing seconds later in the middle of an open space where a soft wind blew around them. They parted as they landed but James did not let her go from his arms when they did. "Wow," he breathed putting his forehead against hers, "I've never done that before."

"Side along-apparated?" she asked breathlessly.

"Not while I was kissing," he chuckled, "I don't think I've ever felt that close to anyone before in my life!"

"You are such a romantic," she whispered, "I never thought, even in my wildest dreams about you, that James Potter would be romantic as hell."

"There's a lot more of me to see yet," he breathed finally letting her go and spinning her round to look at the place he had brought her to.

"Oh...my...God," she stuttered as she gazed out at her surroundings. "It's...it's beautiful," she went on as he pulled her backwards into his embrace and started to kiss her neck.

"Just like you," he whispered softly in her ear.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They were stood on top of a small, rocky outcrop by the side of a tranquil sea. Sky-reaching pine trees surrounded them on three sides but they had landed in a small clearing about seven yards square which looked straight out at the open water to a long, barren looking island which kept the sea calm. Purple heather grew in patches around the edges of the wooded areas and she could smell their soft scent on the wind mingled with a mild seaweed aroma. A small peninsula jutted out into the sea in front of them where gentle waves lapped against the barnacle covered rocks and over head seagulls cawed and flew, occasionally diving when they spotted prey in the peaceful water.

"Where are we?" she asked breathlessly drinking in the wonderful surroundings.

"Somewhere on the west coast of Scotland," he replied enclosing her deeper in his embrace, "I had to stay out here once on assignment and I always thought it was breath taking. I knew it would be a perfect secluded spot in which to spend the day." She turned around to look at him and gave him a deep longing kiss before scampering down to the end of the jutting rocks and exploring the various rock pools which she found there. James watched her go, her long wavy hair bouncing along behind her reflecting the bright sun as it shone down on them. He followed her a few minutes later and together they clambered to the very end of the peninsula where they sat down on a rock and he enclosed her once more in his arms as they watched the world go by. There weren't any other people nearby and they could have been the only two souls in the world; however a multitude of birds and sea animals passed them including a black seal who popped his head out of the sea as he swam up the sound.

After a while they stood up and made their way to the small, close knit crop of trees which surrounded their little spot and started to explore them. It was dark inside but much warmer than it was by the side of the water; James led the way following deer paths which had been made through the most navigable ways and they scampered through climbing up a steep hill until they came out in another clearing, much higher then where they had been. A few more steps took them to the top of the hill and when they turned around they could see over the tops of the trees and out to the island across the water. They were surrounded by mountains covered in pine trees and heather and upon closer inspection James noticed a small family of deer on the next hill, feeding. Their footsteps disturbed them and though they stood extremely still after a few nervous glances the animals bounded away over the top of the hill flashing their white tails as they bounced out of sight.

They spent much of the day exploring hidden caves and old crumbling cottages that had been uninhabited for decades all hidden away and forgotten about by the fir trees growing wildly around them. As the sky turned darker James led them back down to the small clearing where they had originally apparated to and withdrew a small tin from his pocket about the size of a wand box. He took the lid off as she watched on completely intrigued by what he had planned next and he took out of it a pile of soft cushions, two woollen blankets and a small picnic hamper. She gasped as he quickly spread one blanket and the cushions on the ground and beckoned for her to sit down. She did so and then he used his wand to light a small, but contained, fire at one edge of the blanket which he built up until it gave off a soft heat. Dropping to the floor beside her he opened up the small hamper and withdrew a bottle of red wine, a loaf of homemade bread, some chicken pieces and a simple salad which he put out on plates for them both to enjoy. "James, this is absolutely amazing," she whispered almost totally speechless at the romanticness of the day; in all the months they had been seeing each other in secret they had never actually been anywhere as a couple, except for one another's houses.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," he replied filling her glass with wine. "I wanted to give you a real day to remember before I have to go," he went on looking at her slightly guiltily as he mentioned that he would be leaving again.

"Well I certainly won't forget this one," she breathed before tucking into the simple but stunning food he had brought with him.

By the time they had eaten all the food, including a pumpkin pie which had been hiding in the bottom of the basket, the sky above them had turned black and tiny white dots shone out of it; she shivered as the cool wind blew around them both and James moved his body to sit behind hers and pulled her back to lean on his chest. He folded his arms around her and then with a flick of his wand and a wordless spell he created a small, clear bubble which encased them and the small fire, immediately cutting out the wind and the chill of the night. "Wow," she gasped turning her head to give him a kiss and then snuggling down to enjoy, once more, just being with him.

"Are you happy?" James asked a short while later. They had laid their bodies down side by side and she had her head on his chest gazing up at the dazzling stars which shone clearly in the night sky; they both kept trying to pick out constellations that they could remember studying in school.

"Yes," she sighed, "very."

"Are you sure?" he went on and she noticed the guilty tinge in his voice again.

"James Potter," she said turning onto her front and pushing him down so she could look at his face, "I have never been happier in my whole life than when I am with you. I have been ecstatic for the last eight months and nothing could make me happier!" she leaned down to kiss him as if to add confirmation to her statement and he echoed her movements with his own mouth. He had been thinking about telling her that he wanted to show the world their relationship but then decided against it; he didn't want it to be rushed out now before he left and knew if she thought he was going to do it she would spend the whole time he was away thinking about it. At least this way everything was still the same, he was making no more or less a commitment to her and he trusted her wholeheartedly to remain faithful to him while he was gone. She had been patient with him and knew why she had needed to be; he was convinced she would never do the same thing to him that Annemarie had done and knew waiting a little while longer to tell everyone would affect their relationship little now.

"So am I!" he replied as they broke apart and she turned her body and head back to the ceiling of the bubble to gaze up at the stars again.

"Is that the big dipper?" she asked pointing at a group of stars and James sat up onto his knees before looking up through the bubble appearing to study them hard. He made a few um and ar noises as he pointed at various ones and seemed to make calculations while she leaned forwards onto her own knees and gazed up.

"I have no idea," he replied laughing hard and turning to look at her. "But I can see a big dipper from here!," he chuckled pointing his finger at the deep crease between her breasts which was revealed by the v-necked top which she had worn.

"James," she shrieked softly batting his hand away as he moved it closer to her chest, "I thought you knew what you were doing then!"

"I always know what I'm doing!" he joked eying her lustfully and reaching back out towards her ample cleavage.

"I meant with the stars!" she threw back moving her body slightly away from him, something which was difficult to do in the enclosed space.

"Sorry," he replied dropping back onto his bottom beside her, "I only scraped acceptable in Astrology and dropped it before NEWT level; too many boring names to remember and star patterns to look at, used to make my eyes go squiffy! It definitely wasn't my forte! On the other hand however," he continued slyly sliding his hand around the back of her waist and looking into her scrutinous face, "these are definitely something that I am knowledgeable about!" With his other hand he reached up to softly run his index finger down her cleavage, grabbing her waist tightly as she tried to move away, "sorry," he said looking remorsefully at her and removing the finger. But she just laughed at him and threw her body against his pushing him back onto the pillows behind them and kissing him vigorously.

They were naked within minutes and made soft, slow, sensuous love to one another rolling over and over on the blanket out in the open air but encased in a small bubble, just the two of them. They were the only two people in their own little world at that moment, very much in love and desperate to show each other how much. They eventually stopped moving once they had both groaned deeply; she was above him rising and falling slowly while staring into the deep chocolate eyes which stared straight back into her blue ones. She had her hands on either side of him and when they were still she dropped her body onto his covering him with her hair which splayed across his face, chest and shoulders. They breathed raggedly for a few minutes before she rolled from above him and curled up in the nook of his arm snuggling against his shoulder and kissing the patch of skin by her mouth intermittently. "I love you so much," he eventually said turning onto his side to face her and pulling her deep into his embrace, "I have never not wanted to go on assignment so much before; even when I was with..." he left the space blank knowing she would fill it in for herself, "not even when I was going to Azkaban which I knew was going to drain me completely."

"James, you will be fine and when you are there you will want to be there; this is your job, it is what you have worked for, what you have trained for and I know there is a little bit of you that wants to take this particular mission for your family too." He had shared the contents of the file with her even though he knew he shouldn't have really but his father had once told him that he always shared assignments with his mother because he loved her so much and did not want to hide anything from her. James felt exactly the same about the girl in his arms, even though they had not known and loved each other for even a fraction of the time that his parents had when Harry was an auror. She had listened to the whole tale, including the fact that the mission had contained a double agent who had been covered up leaving James' mother to think her husband, and father of her unborn child, was dead. She would never share the information with anyone; not just because she knew working for the auror department meant absolute secrecy but also because he had trusted her with it, had shared it with her because he wanted her to know more about his life and his family. He had also told her that his father had done this when she had stopped him midway through the tale to ask if she should be privy to the information; she had gasped at his explanation of why he was telling her before listening avidly to the rest. When James had finished she had been gobsmacked that the auror office would attempt as serious a cover up as they had done and hoped that Beerney would never do anything as sinister during his time in office. At the end of the conversation James had also told her the passwords for his office "As a precaution!" he had laughed but she had known there was a tinge of seriousness to it as well.

"Just throw yourself into it as you always do!" she said stroking his cheek, "And you'll barely miss me at all!"

"Of course I'll miss you!" he shrieked looking down and glaring into her eyes.

"I know you will; what I mean is you'll be busy and will barely have time to miss me;, before you know it you'll have the bad guy locked up in Azkaban and be back in my bed driving me crazy with desire!"

"Is that what I do?" he asked mischievously wiggling his eyebrows.

"You know you do!" she replied in a sultry voice slapping his chest playfully and feeling herself tingle again at the thought.

"But what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked.

"Will you miss me?"

"Of course I will James; I'll be pining away day after day feeling sad and lonely!" she chuckled.

"Don't say that," he went on seriously pulling her tighter into his embrace, "I want you to miss me but I don't want you to be miserable."

"James, I'll survive, I've done it before and I'll do it again; don't be worrying about me; keep your eye on the mission and come home safely; I'll be fine. And besides I'll have your lot to keep me company deciding which of their colleagues and mates they are going to set you up with next!"

"Oh Merlin, are they doing that again?"

"Yep," she went on, "Jennie from the Muggle Relations department is top of Rose's list, she's got big boobs apparently!" she laughed as he rolled his eyes, "however Dominique wanted to set one of us up with you last night when they saw you flirting with Zelda, they definitely weren't impressed with her!"

"I wasn't flirting!" he barked back, "Oh Merlin no!" he shuddered at the thought.

"You looked quite cosy," she goaded.

"More like bored!" he replied rubbing her stomach lovingly with the hand he had around her body. "She's a nightmare; I can't actually believe that I ever used to go for girls like that! How can I have been so wrapped up in the blonde bimbos and not seen you, there all along, in the background?"

"Like a wall flower?" she asked stroking his cheek.

"No," he shrieked, "of course not; I mean I always thought you were pretty in a 'you're my cousin's friend' sort of way, but why did I never look at you before?"

"Because the blondes got in the way too early; your eyes were screwed up whenever you looked at me, which wasn't often!" she added quietly remembering again the years when she would have given her wand arm for a few words from James Potter.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, I was stupid!" he said serenely stroking her chin with his finger and tilting her head up to meet his lips, "You must have tamed me!" he went on, "When I finally noticed you!"

"Me?" she asked and he nodded his head.

"But I like it," he added nuzzling her neck.

"I don't mind anyway."

"Don't mind what?" he asked curiously.

"That you ignored me for the last ten years or so."

"I didn't ignore you!"

"You didn't speak to me either unless you had no choice."

"I'm sorry," he answered looking down guiltily.

"Like I said, I don't mind!" she repeated reaching out to touch his face again.

"Why not?" he asked still feeling guilty that he had only ever seen her as his cousin's friend before.

"Because it made the wait all the more worth it!" she whispered leaning up to kiss him; before her lips met his she caught the briefest of smiles on his face. "And anyway if you had noticed me then you would only have shagged me and cast me aside, pretty much like you did the first time we did it!" she chuckled and he frowned but before he could try to apologise again she kissed him passionately showing him that it still didn't matter to her;, all that mattered was that they were together now in this wonderful, enclosed bubble.

They spent the night curled up under the blanket in the bubble; the tiny fire gave off a comfortable heat as they listened to the hoots of owls out in the forest and the swishing of trees from other nocturnal animals creeping around foraging for their food. In the morning they were reluctant to leave but, after making love again inside the bubble without words and with barely any sound, they packed up the small tin with their magically shrunken things and James apparated them back to the flat. He was spending much of the day with his family as he usually did before leaving on assignment but had asked her to return to the flat that night so he could spend one more morning waking up with her before he had to share a tent with three other aurors for an indefinable amount of time. Her face fell as she flooed out to her own home and she envied the people who would all be saying their goodbyes while she sat at home brewing over the fact that he was leaving again. She knew it had been a big risk falling for an auror but her heart couldn't have stopped if she had tried to make it; she was desperately in love with James Sirius Potter and knew this was the life she would have to live if the relationship continued any further into the future.

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_Soft, grey as ash smoke billowed out of the cauldron giving off a sweet flowery smell as she added shaved alder bark to the mixture followed by a pinch of anise and a handful of ground pennywort herb; the mixture immediately turned a deep shade of cerise purple and the smoke became a lilac colour as it swirled in coils towards the ceiling. She laughed gently as she stirred the mixture and thought about the new plan; it was the next phase, a more solid and infallible idea that she would need to execute soon. Corking the now warmed liquid, which had brewed over the small fire for seven minutes until it had turned a more delicate shade of pink, she cleared up her equipment before anyone came in a saw what she had been doing; discretion was difficult in her situation but she was determined to keep it up. She was disturbed by someone entering the room a few seconds later and only just pocketed the mixture before they saw her; she hid it at the bottom of her robes where it would be safe from all prying eyes. The only thing she needed to find now was the perfect opportunity to use it. _


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I've given out two chapters today because my next update won't be for a few days I'm afraid! Thanks as always to my reviewers I'll be back on here soon!**

Chapter 10

She couldn't stand to wait much longer; he had been away for over two months and the intermittent reports she managed to snatch here and there around the department were not promising. They had come up with nothing and she knew that meant he would be out of the ministry and the country for even longer. One day she decided what she had to do; there was nothing else for it and though she knew it could cost her her job if she got caught the long term benefits would far outweigh that and once her decision had been made there was no going back. She waited until the department was quiet before attempting to break into his office and find what she needed.

All current case files were kept in the head of department's office until they were suspended or closed when they would be removed to the archive office on the lower floor, a job she often had to do. That being the case she had a fair idea where the file would be located in Beerney's office but she was stumped about how to get the password into his room. She had thought about trying to sneak in somehow when he was busy but without an invisibility cloak or enough magic to make herself invisible to the naked eye she had abandoned the plan and decided on a separate course of action. It was now almost the end of the general working day when most of the administration staff would be leaving to go home; aurors would work on shifts through the night in case any emergencies came in and the boss often stayed in until later too. He was never tied to a single shift but was always on call when he needed to be and his hours were long which meant the vacancy of his office was unpredictable.

After filing the last of the day's paperwork, given to her by her own superior that morning; she clocked out at the reception desk and then hung around in the admin staffroom for a while picking up her cloak and a few other pieces and waiting for the others to file out, all desperate to get home after a long day at work. She hung around until it was empty before making her way back along the corridor outside in the opposite direction to the exit heading straight for Beerney's room. Hiding in a deep doorway opposite she waited for a while; the office was getting quieter as all the day staff headed out and she could only hear the occasional door opening and closing somewhere around instead of the usual hustle and bustle of a busy department. By the time she came back into work there would be another pile of papers and files to sort out and her day would begin again, if she didn't get caught doing what she desperately needed to do now.

Eventually her patient waiting paid off and she watched as the gold doorknob of Beerney's office turned and was opened from the inside; her bald headed boss left the room and after glancing along the corridor and seeing no one around he let the door close by itself as he headed along the corridor in the opposite direction to her. "Imobilus," she called out quietly flicking her wand in the direction of the door which froze immediately barely half an inch from closing. Waiting until Beerney had turned a corner she walked towards the door and slid her finger inside carefully opening it with a gentle push. The room was dark and she held her wand aloft whispering, "Lumos," and the end of it ignited with a deep green glow. She held it out in front of her as she started to search his desk cautiously looking for the file which would give her the information she desperately needed.

There were many ruffled folders on the heavy oak desk which she had never been privy to while working at the Ministry and as she rifled through the information found that they detailed missions currently being undertaken showing serious dark magic being used in evil ways. One thing she did notice as she continued to search through them, which irked her a little, was that no where did she find any information about where the assignments were being carried out. Groaning in frustration she finally laid her hands on a thick folder at the bottom of the pile which was stamped with 'top secret' across the corner; inside it was a much older file which had a faded stamp reading, 'case remains unsolved'. She cast the older folder aside and started to rifle through the other pieces of parchment behind it eventually coming across a picture of James attached to a piece of paper detailing his basic information, such as his height, weight and sex. Three parchments behind it showed the same basic information on Blaise, Martika and Jordan who were all on the same assignment and she scowled as she looked down on the dark haired Russian auror who waltzed around the department as if she was the most important person there. Martika had always seemed to think she was above everyone else in work and life status, or at least she gave off that air, and she felt as if the woman was always appraising people when she met them to see if they were worthy enough.

Checking the remaining parchments gave her nothing more to go on and she dropped the file back onto the desk breathing out deeply and still feeling frustration; she couldn't wait much more for him and had to find a way to get to where he was, wherever that was. Glancing around the desk again she noticed the old folder she had discarded from the one she had just perused and decided it wouldn't hurt to check through it too. Scan reading the details she became intrigued by the story which told how a dark wizard had infiltrated the British auror department to work with them to infiltrate the faction of dark wizards which he belonged to. A double agent, she thought to herself, in the British ministry! There was still no information however on where the current assignment may be taking place and after half an hour she gave up; feeling defeated she sat down in Beerney's chair. She was about to get up and leave when a noise outside the door made her breath catch in her throat and she heard a whispered password before the lock clicked and the doorknob began to turn. Panicking about being caught and losing her job she dived between two heavy chests of drawers into a darkened nook which she hoped might be enough to conceal her existence from him. Extinguishing the end of her wand just in time she sat holding her breath for a moment in the confined space and waited.

Beerney entered the room and he sat down in the old leather covered swivel chair behind the desk; it creaked as his weight was taken and she heard him sigh deeply, "Come in," he called suddenly and she heard footsteps walk over the threshold and close the door which Beerney had evidently left open behind him. "Please, take a seat," her boss went on as the footsteps walked over to the desk and she heard more creaking leather as the second person sat on the proffered seat. "Harry," Beerney began and she felt her breath catch in her throat again, it was James' father, "thank you for coming in." Beerney sounded weary and she remembered that the last few days she had noticed his complexion becoming paler and paler as worry lines appeared on his face.

"It is not going well Terence?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so, no," he sighed again before continuing, "reports we are getting from Zabini and James show that they have found nothing at all, no unusual activity, no sign of Lestrange and I am starting to worry that he may have moved on again which means the case may continue to go on unresolved. As you can imagine that is the last thing we want; you know as well as we do how long this case has been going on for and we are desperate to bring it to an end before any threat can enter our country again. I cannot imagine that the High Lord will rest until he at least tries to do that and unless we can stop him beforehand there will always be that threat."

"So James and the others have seen absolutely nothing at all?"

"No," Beerney sighed again, "all the activity that had been going on around the Russian ministry seems to have stopped, no disappearances, no killings, no demonstrations by wizards or giants; everything is calm but it is unnerving; it's as if they have another plan up their sleeve and I don't want to wait and find out what it is."

"Of course Terence, of course."

"I feel we may need to recall Zabini and the rest of the team soon and put out a general surveillance group just to make sure nothing untoward is going on; the Russian ministry seem to have taken it all as a sign that the High Lord has backed down but I really am not in agreement. I think there is something more sinister going on; but until we know for sure I feel it is a waste for James and the rest of them to be out there in St Petersburg," she held in a breath again, that's where he was?

"You have to do what you feel is necessary Terence," Harry said as she continued to listen feeling she had finally got a bit closer to knowing where James was; St Petersburg was a start but she knew she needed more information if she was going to go out there to him. "I have to say I think I agree with you that there is something else going on; it sounds like a lull before a storm to me; why would he suddenly stop everything he had been doing unless it meant something to him? Dark wizards don't work like that; they don't give up; they move to another plan, usually a more sinister one," he went on. "Do you know how much longer you will give them?

"We shall give it a week or two and then I'll bring them back out I think. A recon team can go out there to replace them while they study the case from back here, to be ready if and when something happens;, it is inevitable I am sure."

"You still keep the coordinates of their positions?" Harry asked quietly.

"Always," Beerney replied, "on file in here though so nothing goes astray," he chuckled lightly and she heard him pat a drawer in his desk.

"Well thank you for sharing the news; it's Ginny more than anyone who worries about him but you can't help fearing for your children, especially when you have been in their position before!" Harry said as he stood up; another creaking leather sound told her that Beerney had stood up too and she hoped that meant he would leave the office with Harry. The cramped corner she was hiding in didn't give much room for comfort and she was starting to feel an ache in her legs which were tucked up underneath her; she needed to move and soon.

"Not at all Harry, I worry about them myself as always and know it is difficult for you too, especially, as you said, because you know what they are facing and what the other side are capable of. You know where I am if you need any more information; but as I said he will probably be back here by the end of the week." His voice drifted off as they both walked out into the corridor and she let out a huge sigh as she heard the door close behind them, self locking as it always did, and leaving her alone with two sets of useful knowledge. The whereabouts of James was in the desk drawer but he was going to be home soon enough; should she continue to look for his whereabouts or should she wait patiently for him? Contemplating the two options she stretched out her cramped body and sighed with relief.

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After two long and fruitless months of watching and waiting James was starting to feel restless; they had waited to hear news of any strange activity around St Petersburg, frequenting the local inns and restaurants where whispers had been heard before about the High Lord and his league; but so far they had come up with nothing. Whatever had been on the cards seemed to have come to a halt and the whole team were becoming a little disheartened with the mission. They reported back to Beerney on a weekly basis and he advised them to stay alert and ever watchful but it seemed pointless, not so much as a squeak had been heard from anyone. They had divided into partners upon arrival on the outskirts of St Petersburg where they set up camp on the edge of a village, as was standard practice; and James had worked with Jordan for the last seven and a half weeks. However a few nights ago Martika, who James was still feeling rather wary of, had suggested that they swap partners in an effort to look like a young handsome couple who might be able to dig out more information from other informants. Zabini, while feeling a little rebuffed that she did not want people to think of them as a couple, had agreed with the idea and the last three nights James had found himself alone with her in a corner of a sleazy bar listening out for information. They would sit there into the early hours of the morning and then leave arm in arm to walk out of sight before apparating back to their waiting colleagues who would see by the looks on their faces that there was nothing new.

Tonight they were staying in the camp while Blaise and Jordan went out to try another local wizarding pub; the two aurors were to visit separately sitting in different areas of the bar with their ears out for anything, though they were all starting to give up on the idea that they would ever find anything now. That meant he and Martika would be manning the camp, ensuring their defences were not breeched by anybody and keeping contact open with the auror office in case anything happened. After his first official mission, which went disastrously wrong due to his and Annemarie's mistake, James was always careful to follow exact protocol at all times. He and Martika had set up their own schedule for keeping watch over the camp's perimeter and the tiny floo network which worked only for communicating with the ministry.

James was currently alone and he was thinking about how much he was missing the wonderful girl who he now could not wait to tell everyone about. The longer he had been away the more he had missed her and the fact that the mission was somewhat uneventful only gave him more time to dwell on her. What was she doing? Who was she with? Was she still waiting for him? That thought crossed his mind occasionally as he was still acutely aware that they were a secret but he was quite hopeful that she would be waiting when he got eventually got home, something which was much easier this time as he wasn't surrounded by dementors feeding from the horrible thought. He would make sure that their secret came out as soon as possible when he returned home so they could start being a real couple and he wouldn't have to worry at all anymore.

"All is clear outside," said a deep voice from the flap of the tent and James looked up to see the mysterious and somewhat scary Martika looking down on him, as always as if she was appraising him for something. He still did not feel at all comfortable when he was around her, alone or not, and he kept his guard up at all times.

"Good, good," he replied standing up and heading to the supply station where Zabini had left out their usual rations, "dinner?" he asked and she nodded her head with a slight grimace at the thought of the food they would be eating. She walked almost on air across the tent to the supply area and took the can he offered her before returning to a seat in the middle of the room. After sitting down she withdrew her wand from the pocket of her jet black robes and heated up the small can in an attempt to make the food more pacifiable. James joined her, still a little on edge, and watched as she tucked into her food with a regal air; she was a striking woman but had a severe face which detracted from her beauty; she wore her standard issue black Russian auror robes at all times and pulled her long dark hair back from her face into a tight bun. She was quiet and barely interacted with any of them except on matters to do with the mission and James felt he didn't know her any better now they had been in close quarters for two months than he had when he first met her at the ministry. She glared at him after a moment and his gaze wondered to another part of the room as he tried to think of the pretty brunette at home with soft skin and a mischievous smile, the smile he was desperate to lay his eyes on and soon.

"James, you have been an auror for long?" she suddenly asked shocking him out of his reverie; this was the first time she had attempted to talk to him in anything other than a professional capacity and for a moment he was struck dumb.

"What? Oh yes, almost five years now; I trained straight from school," he explained giving her more information than he realised she had asked for.

"And you like it?" she went on still in a severe and strongly accented voice.

"I can't imagine doing anything else," he returned.

"Even when you are away from home for so long, away from the people that you love?"

"Y...yes," he stuttered recalling how hard it was to do that at the moment but knowing he wouldn't have it any other way.

"And is...is there a...a person that you love?" she asked a little shyly, "At home?"

James swallowed hard; he had never admitted it to anyone before and as they were still a secret he did not know if he should share it; would Martika tell anyone? Did he want her to be the first person to know? "I...well...sort of," he admitted, "it's...it's a little complicated."

"I see," she replied finishing the last of her measly, tasteless meal and discarding the tin on the floor beside her, "and you...you miss this...'sort of' person?"

"Very much," he said realising he was smiling at the thought of her and feeling like a smitten fool, "well as anybody would miss a loved one," he coughed trying to look less lovestruck and staring seriously at the woman who appeared for the first time to be interested in something other than the mission.

"And you do not feel the need to...to look elsewhere when you are away for so long?" she whispered quietly, "When you are out here alone with someone else? Have you ever been in that sort of position before?" Yes, he thought to himself, the first time I fell in love; his face must have fallen at the thought because she went on, "Is everything alright James?"

"What? Oh yes, yes I was just recalling..."

"Recalling what?" she asked curiously.

"A long time ago, I was in a position such as this and I...well I took advantage of the situation, although I didn't intend to and..." he paused and wondered why he was telling her all of this but as he was about to continue they both heard a noise outside the tent and their heads turned simultaneously in the direction of the door flap.

"I will check our perimeters again," she said jumping to her feet swiftly and heading out of the door as James jumped up quickly too and held his wand aloft in case anything untoward happened.

He was waiting with baited breath when the flaps to the tent opened and an unfamiliar but strong flowery scent wafted through the entrance followed by a female dressed rather seductively, "What are you doing?" he asked in a rather angry voice as she zipped the tent closed behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next update, thanks as always for the review but who said it was her trying to find James? Read on!!! (and please review)**

Chapter 11

"_I need you James," she said in a husky voice as she walked towards him, slowly, clad in very little clothing, "and I can't wait any longer." She put a finger in her mouth and as he was about to protest he caught another whiff of the strong aroma covering her body and felt instant desire combined with an overwhelming urge to smother the girl with himself, with his body. "I have missed you James," she whispered as she reached him and ran a finger along his chin. He keeled to her and felt his desire grow stronger at the simple touch, "I have come to give you what I know you miss," she continued in a seductive voice running her finger down his neck and chest to the already throbbing bulge in his trousers. He was overwhelmed by the aroma which clouded his judgement, the one which would normally bring him to his senses and stop him where he was; but he felt heady and prepared to give in; he was easy prey for her now, finally, and she knew it. _

_Twisting her fingers around the buttons on his shirt she began to unbutton them and stroke the soft hair beneath as he groaned at her touch; then she pulled him slowly in the direction of the bunks where the aurors slept in the tent. He paid no heed to the fact that it was dangerous and that they could get caught at any moment, something which if they were would more than likely cost them both their jobs. However in that instant there was nothing that would bring it to the forefront of his mind; the smell still clouded everything else and the only thing he could concentrate on was what he wanted from this girl, now. She stripped his chest bare and began to kiss him; he paid no attention to the fact that it was not the usual kiss that he enjoyed; in fact he paid no attention to the fact that he did not enjoy this one at all. She started to kiss his chest and shoulders listening to his soft groans before pushing him back onto the bed where they were sat and pulling down the trousers which he wore enough to reveal his desire to her. Smiling wickedly she swiftly removed her own clothes and then climbed up onto the bed until she was sat astride him looking down on his deep chocolate eyes which seemed to be staring back at her without actually seeing her. She lowered herself onto him slowly listening to the deep groan which left his mouth before rising back up again and dropping on him repeatedly until she had satisfied him as she wanted to, as she needed to and he was laid staring up at the ceiling with a dreamy look on his face._

_Lifting her body away from his she dressed quickly and pulled his clothes back up fastening them quickly as she let him fall asleep, another effect of what she had done to him. It was one of the most needed effects as it was this which would erase from his memory what they had done; would make it seem like a dream, one which had involved sex with a nameless body without a clear face. He would wake soon and feel woozy, probably believe himself to be ill and she would hopefully have what she wanted, what she needed from him; the one thing that would make her High Lord happy and put his plan back on form; if she was lucky James Potter would then be disposed of without ever knowing what he had done with her. _

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"James," a voice said interrupting his sleep.

"Hmmm," he mumbled feeling himself coming round.

"James, you fell asleep," the deep voice said to him.

"I...what?" he asked pulling himself up and looking round in the bed in confusion; he couldn't remember going to bed and suddenly he realised that he was still on duty. "I fell asleep?" he went on rubbing his eye a little; he felt woozy and could not understand why.

"I went out to check the perimeters were safe and when I came back you were asleep; you should not sleep on duty James,"

"Yes," he replied sitting on the edge of the bed and staring around the room; he felt confused and could not understand why he had gone to sleep. "I...I know that," he continued standing up, "I...I don't remember even going to lay down, how long were you gone?"

"About quarter of an hour; I checked all the enchantments and crossed the boundary to check for any other noises but there is nobody there; it must have been an animal or something in the wood."

"Noises?" he asked with a querying tone.

"The noise we heard outside; I went to check if the boundaries had been breeched. Are...are you okay James? You do look a little pale," she went on to ask changing the tone of her voice.

"I...I'm fine," he stuttered though in truth his head felt heavy and he still could not work out why he had gone to the bunk, "I just...need a minute."

"Of course," Martika said nodding her head and walking back to the small fire in the middle of the canvas tent where she began to boil some water to make a drink. James stared around the room and ran his fingers through his hair trying to think over the last few minutes; he could remember Martika leaving the tent but then there was nothing; why had he gone to his bunk? And when had he done it? Was he coming down with something or...? He did not actually know what other explanation there could be. "Here, drink this," his colleague said pushing a strong cup of coffee under his nose which he took from her gratefully quickly performing the standard wordless spell he used on all things offered to him even when out on assignment; it was the safest thing to do, even with people he trusted. The test showed nothing and he drained the cup quickly feeling the hot liquid trickle down his throat and warm his belly which he realised was suddenly cold.

"Do you think you could be ill James?" she asked when he had finished the cup and she looked him up and down.

"I...I'm not sure," he replied still feeling heavy headed perhaps it was a sudden bug which had hit him and he was starting to hope maybe that is all it was.

"Perhaps you should get some rest," Martika suggested. "I can take over the shift until Jordan and Blaise return; if I need you I can always wake you," she continued and he nodded his head at her gratefully; he felt completely wiped out and seriously began to worry that something was wrong with him.

Climbing back into the bed he put his head to the pillow and attempted to work out what was wrong but he was asleep again within minutes and when he woke the next morning he was refreshed and alert as usual. Martika had explained the situation to Zabini when he and Jordan had yet again returned with no information and the senior auror had checked him over the following morning. His diagnosis was simple fatigue from their long assignment. It was not uncommon when they had irregular sleep patterns and though James felt terrible for falling asleep at his post Blaise placated him by saying he wasn't the first and would not be the last. There was no harm done and as he seemed to be brighter that morning they could put the matter behind them; he then slyly told James that even the senior officers had been known to fall asleep on their posts in times gone by and they had both chuckled heartily.

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"_Damn," she yelled after making sure she was out of earshot from everyone; it had not worked. She had done the wand test everyday for seven days and it had not worked; had she calculated wrong? If she did not achieve her goal soon he would be angry with her, very angry; he would not wait for much longer. But what to do now? She had used the perfect opportunity before and now they were being recalled from the mission; she would not have a chance like that again, not soon enough anyway. Would she find another opportunity to exploit in the same way? At the Ministry she did not know how and as she did not know where he lived that option was out too; perhaps imperious might work after all she thought to herself; but no she knew that was impossible he would throw it and her cover would be blown too. She would just have to use the elixir again; it had worked the first time so it would work again, but when? When could she use it? The mission was ended; they were all back in Britain at the office filling in more paperwork to file; how could she find an opportunity to get him alone and not be disturbed? She would have to find one, it was the only way. Picking up the long thin vial of lilac liquid she looked at it with a devious smile before putting it back where she kept secret things, hidden away at work where prying room mates would not stumble across it and use it for themselves._

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He was back in the office and the incessant and monotonous routines for the end of any mission were almost finished; all he needed to do was the final sign off along with the other aurors and then he was free for the weekend. He knew the papers would be on their way round any minute and he was desperate to get them signed so he could leave. He had scribbled a note to Salamander and Rose to tell them he was back and asked them to call in to his office at the end of the day to see him. They both worked at the Ministry so they would be around and he wanted them to be the first to know he was seeing someone, someone he was deeply in love with. He would then go and visit her at her home and tell her that he had finally come out to the world about their relationship before whisking her off to the Leaky Cauldron where they could show everyone just how happy they were. Part of him wanted her to be there when he told his best friend and cousin, especially as she knew them as well, but he also wanted to share this with them alone; they would be shocked he knew but he also hoped they would be happy for him.

The hands on the clock seemed to hang backwards and the end of the day seemed eons away to James who was desperate to get away but he knew the papers would not be ready until five. Drumming his fingers on the table he toyed with the idea of going out to find her for a long, deep kiss; she would be at the office and he might be able to get her alone. But he had to wait there until five and there were only fifteen minutes left before he would be able to go to her at home and enjoy a long deep kiss in their own time. When he had been for the debriefing in Beerney's office he had crossed her path in the corridor and flashed her a sincere and loving smile. His whole body had wanted to grab her and kiss her right there but there were other people around and after checking that no one was looking at them first she shyly returned the smile; looking to see who might be watching them was something else that he was not going to miss when he brought them out in the open.

The papers he was waiting for came at five minutes to five and after signing them gleefully James stood up to get his cloak and a few other belongings so that when he had seen his friends he would be able to apparate straight to her house. He was just putting the cloak on when he heard his door open and a strong scent wafted in through it, one which seemed strangely familiar to him. He turned to talk to his friends but was surprised to see someone else standing there with her back against the now closed door; she was wearing a short skirt and a low cut top which he had always found vulgar on her, "Zelda," he whispered, "what are you-"

"Shhhh," she whispered cutting him off as she started to walk slowly towards him; the strong pungent odour filled his nostrils immediately clouding his brain and James found himself instinctively drawn to the leggy blonde haired woman now slinking towards him with a lustrous look in her eyes. He stared at her as she approached and let her long arms wind their way around his back pulling him into her embrace where their lips locked together suddenly without any warning. He indulged the kiss and returned the touch as all thought flew out of his brain, other than the thought of what he wanted to do to this girl who was running her hand down his chest to the already protruding bulge in his standard issue green trousers. He moaned as her hand closed over it and gripped him tight and he found himself thrusting her back onto the desk behind her without a care in the world. The woman, who had a gleeful look on her face, smiled slyly at him as he dropped his weight on top of her and began to kiss her furiously once more. Papers, quills and other supplies fell to the floor as they started to thrash around on the desk; she ripped his shirt from his body sending buttons flying across the room and unfastened his trousers before pulling them down quickly to expose his hard, erect penis.

Laughing wildly she rolled him over as more things fell from the desk including a picture of James' family which had a small picture placed with it; it was of the girl he loved; a picture which he had kept with him for the last few months, never showing anyone but looking at it when he needed to think of her pretty face and soft body. The picture frame broke and the small portrait came to rest on top of its shards, facing down away from the scene in the office so her coy face could not be seen. Zelda hitched up her short skirt to reveal that she was naked beneath it and in one swift movement she positioned herself on top of him again and began to grind against him as she had done in the tent. Listening to his deep moans as he came closer and closer to doing what she needed him to do, Zelda continued to smile maliciously hoping that this time it would work. Her own pleasure was not important; she just needed to satisfy him and she worked herself harder and harder as his breathing became shorter and with one short cry she knew he had exploded where she needed him to be.

She smiled as he did it and prepared to lift herself from above him so he could fall into the all important slumber again; the sleep which would erase this hazy memory from his mind as it had their first encounter; and once again he would be none the wiser about her or what they had done. However as she saw his eyelids droop the sound of the door opening caught her attention and she froze gasping loudly as it opened and three figures appeared in the doorway; they were laughing and joking about something until they saw what was happening inside the office.

"James," one of them shrieked shrilly; it was enough to bring him out of his reverie and he blinked rapidly shaking his head quickly and taking in the scene in his own office. He looked up to see the horrible girl still sat on top of him and he reeled in horror as he realised what had just happened; then his head turned to look towards the voice which had shrieked his name. He saw the three figures in the doorway too; his best friend, his cousin and another girl, a girl with long dark hair and a gentle face, a face which was strangely contorted as it too took in the scene in front of her. James' mouth fell open in shock as he flung Zelda from above him but it was too late; the other girl had turned her head to hide her tears; turned her body away from the scene;, and as he jumped to his feet desperately searching for clothes to cover his modesty she started to flee along the corridor.

Rose and Salamander turned to watch her in confusion as James pulled his trousers up and set off after her bare foot and bare chested almost catching up with her as she reached the elevators at the department entrance. She was already inside one and the grills were closing when he got there; all he could see was her face, her white unhappy face; and as the lift started to move all he could do was sob out her name in confusion, "Holly," he whimpered pressing the call bell furiously, "wait."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The lift stopped where it was and then started to move back towards him slowly and he watched her anguished face through the grille as it came closer and closer, "Holly," he whispered when it had stopped and he slowly pushed the grille to the left and looked at her deflated and forlorn looking body. He had missed her so much over the last few months and wanted to do nothing more than hold her and kiss her deeply and longingly; but he knew he couldn't; he could see hurt in her eyes and though he couldn't understand why he had done it he knew he was the one causing the pain. "Holly," he repeated taking a tentative step towards her but she backed deeper into the lift and he stopped moving. "I...I don't know what...what I was doing," he said honestly realising that he didn't. He had no idea why he had just slept with the annoying girl who he didn't even find the least bit attractive, "She...she had some sort of-"

"James," Holly interrupted finding her voice at last; it sounded stronger than he had expected it to, "we never made any promises to each other. We are both free agents and-"

"No, Holly I did want to make a promise to you, I...I was going to tell Sal and Rose tonight; I love you and...I want to be with you," he pleaded through doleful looking eyes.

"That's not quite what it looked like James."

"I know, Holly; but I don't know what that was; she...she bewitched me somehow and...and," he had no other excuse at all for what he had done but he could tell she didn't believe him.

"James, she bewitched you because she is an attractive woman with plenty of assets and you..." she swallowed hard trying not to break down in front of him, "you did what you do, James," she smiled slightly before carrying on, "I knew this day would come; we were never going to last forever."

"But-"

"No buts James," she interrupted looking him straight in the eye, "I waited for this day to come; we had fun while it lasted but it ran its course; that's all it was ever going to do and I knew it. You were the unobtainable boy from school who looked my way for a brief moment but I always knew it would be brief and now it's over. Goodbye James," she finished smiling resolutely as she closed the grille again making him step back.

"Holly, I love you," he whispered as it closed and she smiled at him sadly as his hand touched the metal bars which separated them. He pressed the call bell again to stop it but this time she turned on the spot and apparated away while he whispered her name over and over again feeling his heart plummet within him as he realised what it meant.

A minute later a cough from behind him disturbed James and he turned around to see Salamander and Rose looking at him in complete confusion, "James," Sal said tentatively, "what is going on?"

He turned to face them completely with a defeated body; he was still wearing only his trousers as he headed back down to his office gesturing for them to follow; they did so quickly and when they were safely inside Sal closed the door and looked at his friend who was sat at his desk with his head in his hands. James dragged his shirt back on and fastened the buttons slowly before rubbing his face vigorously and looking at his friends with a remorseful look, "What have I done?" he whispered.

"I...I don't understand what's going on James," Sal said honestly.

"I've been seeing Holly," he explained resting his head in his hands.

"Holly?" Rose gasped and James nodded confirmation at her, "For how long?"

"Since a few weeks after your wedding," he admitted feeling guilty again that he had kept it quiet for so long.

"What?" she blurted loudly.

"We started seeing each other not long after, well sleeping with each other to start with but then it turned into something more. But I...I wasn't ready to tell everyone; I wasn't ready to put my trust in someone again and Holly knew that; she understood. She was so patient about it for such a long time and...and I decided before I went away that it was time to tell you all; to show her that I did trust her. I was going to tell you tonight; that's why I asked you to come here first; I was going to tell you that..." he paused and swallowed over the lump in his throat, "that I love her." Rose gasped again and Salamander sat up straight in his seat.

"You love her?" Rose asked.

"Yes," he whispered in response, "I love her more than anything; more than I ever loved Annemarie and more than I ever thought I would be able to love again; but now...now I've..." he drifted off and dropped his head into his hands again.

"But...but then why were you..." Rose said tentatively referring to the situation they had found him in, "...with...her?"

"I don't know; that's what I don't know!" he yelled. "I was here waiting for you and she came in and before I knew it we were...and then you all...and..." he stuttered rubbing his face again and dragging his fingers through his long hair. "She did something to me; I don't know what but Holly doesn't believe me and...and I didn't do it because I wanted to; I just can't explain why I did. And I know what it looked like," he went on well aware that his cousin and friend knew what his reputation was like, "but...I can't explain it." He looked imploringly at his cousin then before asking tentatively, "Rose, will...will you talk to her? Try to explain that..." he stopped knowing he couldn't actually explain his actions at all and therefore she wouldn't be able to either.

"I'm not sure what I can say," she whispered quietly in reply still completely shell shocked by the whole revelation; she'd had a feeling that her best friend was seeing someone on the side but thought it was only a fling thing and that she was keeping it on the sly for a reason; she had no idea it was her cousin, "I'll...I'll try."

"Thank you," he whispered looking gratefully at her. He didn't know if it would do any good or not; if he couldn't explain what had happened with Zelda then how could she? But maybe if she told him how cut up he was Holly might at least talk to him; give him a chance to try and show her what she meant to him. He was gutted; more gutted than when he had found out Annemarie was sleeping with someone else and a realisation suddenly dawned on him. That was how Holly had felt just then; the same way he had felt when he had discovered the truth; betrayed, devastated and unable to ever forgive her or trust her again. "What have I done?" he asked once more and his two companions looked back at him clueless. He knew why she had walked away; knew why she had said what she had said; and he also knew it would not be easy to convince her of his innocence, if he was innocent. "I...I need to go home," he went on standing up and walking to the door, "I...I need to be alone for a while."

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_It had to have worked this time; she would never get another chance now that they had been interrupted. Why had she not had the sense to lock the door behind her? What would it have taken? A simple flick of the wand and no one would have known; muffliato would have kept the knocking away from his ears and she could have apparated out of there once he had drifted into his post coital sleep and nobody would have been any the wiser. But he had not fallen into the all important sleep which would erase it all from his memory; he had stayed awake and now it would be etched there forever like any other sexual encounter. Of course he didn't know why he had done it but there was no way she would be able to get him to do it again if it hadn't worked this time._

_She had apparated away as soon as he had gone chasing after the annoying woman from work who looked at her as if she was above everyone else, even though she was just a simple clerical worker like her. There had obviously been something between her and James but what did it matter to Zelda? Nothing as long as this time it had worked. She knew he had come inside of her; had released what she needed from him and she was desperately hoping that it was enough this time because if it didn't work her Lord would be angry; and she knew it. Laying down on her bed she closed the door to shut out the noise of the other young ministry workers from other countries of the world who could seek accommodation in a shared house. Placing her hands across her stomach she prayed that her plan would succeed; that soon she would be able to go to him and tell him that they had what they wanted, the seed of James Potter, son of the most powerful wizard still alive._

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James spent the whole night wandering around the flat; he was restless and angry with himself over what he had done to Holly and no matter how much he tried to rationalise it he still could not understand why he had done it. Playing it over in his head he remembered Zelda walking in, closing the door and walking towards him with a determined look on her face. He had been about to ask her what she wanted when he felt the sudden urge to kiss her, not passionately or even with any feeling, but he had needed to do it and had then gone on to do the other thing he had suddenly needed to do too. All reason and thought had left his mind as it focused on only the sex and it wasn't until Rose, Sal and Holly had disturbed them that it had all come flooding back and he had realised what he had done. Had the girl done something to him or was it simply his own urges? Had he been that desperate for a shag that he had done it with the first female who had suddenly offered it to him on a plate? Surely not, he loved Holly; he could have waited for her. At midnight he tried to get to her flat desperate to talk to her and tell her it had meant nothing; but she had closed her floo network and when he tried to send his owl to her the letter came back unopened; she was hurt and he knew he would have to let her grieve for a while.

In the early hours of the morning he finally made it into bed and as he entered the room he noticed some of the things she had left in his flat when he had offered her a drawer. There was an almost empty bottle of her perfume on the dresser and he found himself picking it up and smelling it, just so he could imagine her being there with him. He opened the middle drawer and saw some of her clothes, just a few vests and changes of underwear, but he had to touch it as if it would bring her closer to him; before he knew what was happening he felt tears slide from the corners of his eyes. He had lost her and he couldn't explain why even though he knew the reason.

When he woke the next morning, still clinging to one of her soft pink tops, he felt lonely; the flat seemed empty without her now, somehow cold and uninviting. James had hoped this time the previous day to be waking up with her ready to face a new day with everyone knowing how in love he was. Instead he was alone and miserable knowing that the woman he loved probably hated him; and knowing that everyone would soon know that he had been in love with her and had ruined everything over a blonde bimbo that would have been just his type a couple of years ago. He had seen the slightly wary look in his cousin's eye when he had tried to explain himself; she had known what he was like before and as Holly was her best friend she would have been looking out for her as well, something James wanted to do but now couldn't.

It took him a while to get up and moving; he didn't think he had ever felt so low, even when Annemarie had cheated on him, and he knew that this time it was real love that he wasn't going to get over; he had to talk to Holly somehow but he would need to give her time first.

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Holly had locked him out, locked everyone out by closing the floo network so she could be alone and wallow in her pity. While she was stood there in front of him she had remained stout and strong telling him that it was all okay, that she had always seen it coming. However the truth was that in the last few months of their strange relationship she had finally started to see a glimmer of hope, a small chance that maybe there was a longer future for them. That had all come crumbling down though when she had walked into his office with her best friend and seen him laid on his desk half naked with the horrible and tacky Zelda writhing above him. She had never expected it to end quite like that, even when she was adamant that it wouldn't last forever; she always thought he would tire of her and pass her over politely before moving, probably quite swiftly, onto someone else. This had been a severe blow and she knew he not expected her to see him like that; but, despite his protests, she knew it was obviously what he really wanted. That was the real James; the one she had always known was inside him even when she had seen the softer, more romantic side of him. It had hurt; there was no denying that and he had seen just how much it had hurt her which was something she supposed he hadn't meant to do; yet he had still done it.

Rose had owled her earlier in the day to say she would meet her at the office as they were meeting James there too. So she had waited for her friends to arrive and joined them as they called in on her secret lover, the man who had another secret lover of his own. She wasn't sure if she was angrier at him for doing it or for who he had done it with; Zelda was such a cheap and tacky girl who was always so obvious with James. Holly had seen a different side to him in the last few months and was upset that he had actually gone back to the empty headed girls he so obviously still lusted for.

She was in bed when his owl arrived but she sent it back unopened; she didn't want to hear his words, or read them; he had done what she expected and she just wanted to grieve and then get on with her life. Even if he had spoken the truth about loving her she would never be able to forgive him or trust him again and he would know that after experiencing the same thing himself. It wouldn't be easy working in the same department and being friends with his family but she would put on a brave face and see it through; she would not let him beat her down; Holly Weston was stronger than that.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The following Wednesday James went in to work, even though he was officially on leave for another two days, as it was the only chance he could find to talk to Holly and he needed to see her soon. A few people said a surprised good morning to him when he appeared in the reception at eight thirty but he barely acknowledged them as he almost sprinted down the corridor towards her office where he sat and waited for her to turn up at nine o clock. However by half past nine she had not turned up and he left the office to see why she wasn't there. A new receptionist who he had not met before told him that she had taken a few days leave and his heart sank; this had been the one opportunity he had hoped to exploit so he could talk to her and he wasn't going to be able to do it. The last few days had been hell for him; he had been so lonely and had just replayed the whole nightmarish experience over and over again trying to rack his brains to work out why he had slept with the girl. The more he thought about it the more he was convinced she had done something to him and as his anger at a lost opportunity to see Holly began to rise his anger about Zelda was recalled to the forefront of his brain too. "Where's Zelda?" he asked the new receptionist angrily.

"She hasn't turned in either, not since last week."

"What?" he asked.

"Gone, left all her stuff but she fled; not been seen since last Thursday; apparently she's left the foreign house too no one's seen her at all," she explained taking her eyes off her paperwork and looking at him, "got a bit of a thing going with these girls?" she asked coyly.

"No," he barked angrily and she pulled her head back in shock at his outburst.

"Geez, calm down, I was only joking."

"Where did she work?" he asked.

"Who?" the red headed girl replied.

"Zelda," he barked back feeling himself getting angrier, "her office or her station where is it?"

"Down there," she replied pointing in the direction of a large group of communal desks behind the reception counter, "last one on the right."

"Thank you," he growled at her before setting off through the middle of a set of desks where other witches were busy typing up notes and memos or filing bits and pieces into folders and cabinets. Many of them turned to stare at him and huffed as the backdraft from his speed ruffled some of the parchments they were working from but he paid no heed to their disgruntled moans. When he got to the station he was looking for he found the desk cluttered with unfinished paperwork which he swept to the floor in a single movement causing a few more witches to grumble at him. He checked everything else on it, not sure what he was searching for but hoping to find something, some tiny clue as to why she had come to him and why she had seemed to have so much power over him. Rifling through the drawers he found just more papers and a collection of stationary bits that she might have used in her day to day work but nothing out of the ordinary at all. In frustration and anger James kicked the back of her desk and heard a hollow sound which made him freeze; slowly climbing under the desk and receiving a few more scowls he knocked the panels beneath it and heard the hollow sound again. Suddenly he realised that there was an extra panel in front of the original which he quickly removed and cast aside to reveal a small shelf which had a single thin bottle perched upon it. Lifting out the curved glass vial he noticed that there was a small amount of liquid still inside it, a watery lilac liquid swishing around in the bottom. He pulled out the glass stopper and sniffed the top immediately smelling a familiar aroma which reminded him of his experience in the office last week and, surprisingly, of the mission in Russia, something which confused him a little.

Standing up and receiving more strange looks from the people around him, who could not understand why he had been under the desk in the first place, James began to walk back down the aisle and went into his own office to examine it further. Sitting in his chair he uncorked the bottle to smell it again; it was a strong odour which both repulsed and excited him even though it reminded him of an experience which had ruined his relationship with the woman he loved. What he struggled to understand was why the smell reminded him of the tent in Russia; he couldn't work out why he might have smelled it there unless... He suddenly remembered the night he had strangely fallen asleep; he remembered having a vivid dream about sleeping with someone, someone who had no face. He had thought it was because he had been so tired but had it been something more sinister? Had Zelda been there as well?

With his mind whirling James walked out of his room and down to the potions department where he asked an old friend if he could find out what was in the potion and attempt to work out what it did. The more he thought about it all the more he was now convinced that Zelda had used this somehow but until he had proof he would not say a word to anyone, even Holly, it would only make him look desperate and he wanted to be absolutely sure.

"It may take me a day or two to get around to it James," his friend replied. "We're a bit backed up here," he went on indicating the various carefully labelled potion bottles littered around the room; James sighed as he nodded in understanding before trudging back up to his office where he tidied a few things away and then walked to the atrium to floo to his parent's house. He had felt lonely and wanted company so had owled his mother the previous night to see if he could stay for a few days, something he had also done when Annemarie cheated on him; being home made him feel a little less lonely and more loved.

The news of what he had done had passed along the family grapevine and he received a rather stern look from his sister when she got home from work that evening. She was good friends with Holly and was angry with her brother for treating her that way but James knew until he had something more concrete he would keep his ideas to himself and withstand the angry stares. Vernon sympathised with him a little but Albus was on his sister's side and though he did not glare angrily at him James knew he did not approve so he didn't broach the subject of Holly at all. His mother and father made no comment about it which James was grateful for and they spent a peaceful evening in the living room playing wizard chess where his sister finally deemed to talk to him shortly before she retired to bed.

When James went up to his old room he could not sleep; he was playing the day over and over in his head feeling impatient about having to wait for the potion he had found to be separated so eventually he rose from the bed and started to pace the room. He began to think about Holly again and after listening to the rest of the family retire to their respective rooms James left his own and tiptoed down to his father's office where he extracted the hidden bottle of firewhiskey which he had once seen him place behind a set of books on the top shelf. Taking the top off the bottle he took a deep swig straight from it while sitting down on the chair behind the desk where he closed his eyes and started to think about Holly again. It was all he had done for the last few days, think about her, what he had done and how she had found him and everyday he felt guiltier about it all. He tried to think about one of the good times he had shared with her to wallow in but his guilty feelings kept bringing his reckless deed to the forefront again. After another deep swig from the bottle James had an idea and slowly rose from the high backed dark red leather chair and walked over to a cupboard where he knew his father kept the pensieve; for a few moments he wanted to enjoy just one wonderful memory about Holly.

Slowly extending his wand to the side of his head he extracted a swirling fog from it which he dropped into the pensive watching it twist and turn in the white stone basin. He saw Holly within it and his heart sank as he put his face into the bowl and allowed himself to fall through nothingness into the memory landing seconds later on a windswept, waterside hill on the coast of Scotland. He smiled wryly as he saw the two of them inside the bubble and he sat down nearby watching them talking and kissing in their own little world. He remembered how he had felt so happy and in love then and how he had already made the decision to tell everyone about her; how had it all gone so wrong so quickly? And why had Zelda disappeared suddenly too? Wiping her out of his head he continued to watch, desperate to just remember what it was like to be with Holly for a short while. He watched as they slowly started to make love in the bubble and found himself looking away shyly as if he was intruding on a private moment, even though it had been one he was involved in. Her naked body looked magnificent under the glow of the moonlight and he longed to be able to go into his body in the memory so he could hold her and feel her again, lose himself in her and escape the void he felt at the moment; but you couldn't do that in a memory so all he could do was watch. After seeing them curl up with each other James could take it no longer and he withdrew from the memory finding himself stood on the office floor staring at the opened bottle of firewhiskey which he took another deep swig from. Emptying the pensieve and putting the memory back into his head he retired back up to his old room where he continued to toss and turn for another few hours. He finally succumbed to a sleep haunted by memories of Holly and interrupted with thoughts of Zelda and her intentions.

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The day before James was due to go back into work he decided to move back to the flat and packed his few bits of clothes into a rucksack before heading down to the kitchen to floo home. It was shortly after lunchtime and only his mother and father were in the house as all its other inhabitants were out working. Harry persuaded him to enjoy a steaming cup of his mother's hot chocolate before he left and they were all sitting around the inglenook fireplace when the flames turned green and his sister, Lily, appeared looking frazzled and upset.

"Lily, what on earth is the matter?" Ginny asked when she saw the distraught look on her daughter's face.

"It's awful, Mum, Dad, James, the…the ministry has been, been stormed," she sobbed.

"What do you mean stormed?" James asked jumping deftly to his feet.

"People…wizards…dark wizards they…they came in and…and they've taken the Minister and the whole auror department hostage; they confiscated their wands and were working their way down the building. When we heard the boss sent as many of us out as he could before they reached us; we have a separate floo network to the rest of the ministry so we got away but…but reports are coming in that they are torturing the minister and demanding that she bow down to them." She was crying by the time she had finished and Ginny rose quickly to comfort her youngest child. "And…and Raulph will be there," she added with a sob looking imploringly at everyone.

"Who are they?" James asked getting ready to jump into the fire and go to the ministry.

"I…I don't know; someone said they were talking about the High Lord or something but- what is it?" she asked seeing the look of horror cross both her brother's and her father's faces.

"Lestrange," Harry gasped.

"What?" Ginny shouted forgetting about her daughter for a second as a few of her own painful memories came to the front of her mind; she turned to look at her husband and son and in a controlled voice said, "Lestrange?"

"That's who we've been tracking; the High Lord," James began to explain, "out in Russia; but all was quiet and we thought he was in hiding planning something big; but…but to take the British ministry? I should go in and-"

"No!" Harry yelled interrupting him, "James you can't go in alone; if they've taken the auror department you'll have no back up;, remember the protocol; you can do nothing alone. Zabini will be out too won't he? Still on leave?"

"Yes but how do I contact him? I don't know where he lives."

"I do," Harry said jumping up, "We can floo over there and see him; chances are he knows nothing about it but when he does he can get a few people together before We…er...I mean you all decide what to do," he stuttered hastily glancing at his wife remembering that he was no longer part of the department and in a crisis it was not his job to organise the troops.

"Harry," Ginny said softly taking him by the arm and looking at him with understanding, "I think this might be a time to come out of retirement; if the auror department are trapped they're going to need all the help they can get and…" she dropped her voice to a whisper, "if it's Lestrange then I want you there to look out for James," she added. "And Albus will still be there too," she finished realising that her other son was also a ministry employee who was no doubt trapped by now if they were shutting down the whole place.

"Ginny are you sure?" he asked quietly pulling her into a tight hug.

"Yes," she replied leaning up and giving him a swift kiss, "It's time to go back, for one time only!" she added with a slight grin and he beamed at her understanding nature.

"Stay here," Harry said sternly looking down at his wife; then he turned to his daughter to add, "and you too; we'll find Raulph, I promise," he added reaching out an arm to hug the terrified girl who had never seen anything of this kind before.

"Be careful," Ginny urged them both as they headed to the fireplace and one by one the two almost identical looking aurors disappeared from view leaving the two worried women alone.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Sunning it up in Portugal but still have time to update! Thanks for my review as always; nice to know people think I have talent! Will try to add more suspense!**

Chapter 14

"Blaise," Harry yelled as he flooed into his ex-colleague's living room closely followed by his son, "where are you?" A noise in the kitchen indicated that he was in there and a moment later Zabini appeared in the doorway looking shocked to have been invaded without notice.

"Harry?" he asked recognising the man stood looking at him. "James?" he added seeing his young colleague jumping out of the fireplace behind his father, "What are-".

"The Ministry's been stormed by the High Lord," Harry explained and Zabini's mouth dropped open in horror, "they've taken the Minister and the auror department hostage and are demanding that they bow down to him," he finished, "what can we do?"

"They have all the aurors?" he asked.

"As far as we know, all the ones who were in the ministry; Lily managed to get out through the department of mysteries' floo and she said they took the aurors first before making their way through the rest of the ministry. Who might not have been there?" James said.

Immediately going into organisation mode Zabini ran to his desk in the living room and began to hastily scribble a note, "We'll have to get together everyone that we can; Jordan and Martika are still out on leave so I'll get them to come here immediately," he said rolling up the first note before hastily scribling another. "There might be a few others not in work today, or at least not on shift, but they've picked their time because I know there aren't many out on mission at the moment. I'll try whoever I can; and James see if you can contact anyone who might have been on nights last night." James nodded in response as his senior turned to look to his father asking, "Harry, do you think you'd be able to get any of the old Order members together? What about Ron and his brothers would they be able to fight if we need to?"

"Of course," Harry replied knowing they would step into the breech straight away when they knew who they were facing; the Lestranges had made many attempts on the lives of their family and all of them would be as eager to get revenge as to fight for their Ministry.

"Contact anyone you can; I'll try the secret channels into the ministry see if I can get any information from Beerney about what is going on; as you know the department of mysteries is not the only place with hidden floos and communication networks! But this is not good; if the Minister bows to him then…" he let the sentence drift allowing them to draw their own conclusions. "Tell everyone to meet here as soon as they can."

"We could use Grimmauld Place if you want," Harry suggested, "it's bigger and I can open the wards for today so people can get inside."

"Thank you Harry," Zabini replied seeing the sense; he knew it had been used as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix many years ago and was secure, "I'll see you there as soon as possible."

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James and Harry returned separately to Grimmauld Place an hour later after contacting all the Weasley brothers and cousins; they in turn had hunted out old order members and friends who they knew would join the battle to get the ministry back from the low life trying to conquer it. James had tried some of the aurors' homes too and found a handful who had been there through the night and left before any of this had happened; donning their robes they had stood to attention ready as always to follow a chain of command and headed to James' childhood home while he hunted for more recruits. When he flooed in with Salamander, who had fortunately taken a day off with Rose, James was amazed at the sheer amount of people crammed into the kitchen of his former home. People had banded together for the crisis and it warmed his heart to think that they would do this when they were not combat trained aurors. He suddenly had a new understanding for how life had been when his father had had to fight against Voldemort and he was in awe of everyone in the room. His Uncles, along with some of their wives, were sat at the table drinking Ginny's coffee and waiting for instruction and his father went off to sit with Ron and Hermione who were at the top of the table with James' mother and Salamander's parents, Neville and Luna.

"Thank you for coming everyone." Blaise's voice rang out from the opposite end of the room and they all fell into a hushed silence so he could continue, "The news as it stands is not good," he continued morosely, "Lily told us that the Ministry was stormed this morning and they attacked the auror department first to put them out of action; they are currently wandless but I have been able to contact Beerney who has sent the message that so far everyone is safe but afraid. The High Lord, as he is calling himself, and a woman, who is as yet unidentified, have gone into the Minister's office themselves and taken her hostage demanding that she hand the Ministry over. So far we think she has held off but reports say he is using torture to try and bring her down," many people around the room gasped audibly and Zabini waited for the information to sink in before continuing. "Beerney's patronus said that they have followers in every department now who are holding everyone up by threat of death until the Minister caves. He seems to think they may start to kill randomly if she does not give him what he wants soon." More shocked tones ran through the room as people realised how dangerous the situation was and some, James could see, were starting to worry about their loved ones who were trapped inside the ministry. While they did not want the Minister to bow down to the High Lord they did want their friends and family to stay safe and alive. Over the last hour James had been madly trying to concentrate on what he needed to do not only because it was his job but also to stop himself worrying about the one person he was most scared for. His sister had come home sobbing about Raulph, who James knew would be in the auror department with the others; and he had felt for her immediately as he had realised that Holly would also be there and she wasn't even trained to deal with these kinds of situations. He wanted to get in there and help her, help the Minster and everyone else but he had to wait until he was sent and the wait seemed to be endless.

"Lily says that the department of mysteries has their own floo network which we don't think the High Lord is aware of; they sent as many people out of the department as they could before they were infiltrated and it is not easy to find so we believe it should still be undetected. This will be the only way to get into the ministry as the rest of the floo network has been shut down and anti-apparition wards have been set up on the entire place. We need to get into the Ministry through the department of mysteries and then get to the auror department as quickly as we can; there is another entrance which we believe they will not be covering as it is purposefully there for any situation like this and remains hidden to all but the aurors. If we get inside and can overpower the ones in there we will have the entire team to support us as we try to rescue as many of the innocent as possible." Zabini spoke gravely to the silent room as he continued, "But be warned; we are casting to kill if necessary; they will not think twice about doing it to you or anyone else with you; if they see you they will show no mercy and you must be prepared to do the same to them." The reactions to this statement varied around the room; the older members, who had dealt with this kind of conflict before, accepted Zabini's instruction with hardly a murmur; however the younger generations, who had not seen war or battles, were shocked at his insistence that they kill if they have to. "James, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I will go first and try to access the auror department; Martika and Jordan will follow on with some of you and follow us up to the department. Above all we need to move with stealth and avoid detection at all costs; even if we have to kill," he repeated looking sternly at everyone in the room who this time nodded their heads in reply. "Lily has instructed us on how to get through the department of mysteries and back so that should not pose too many problems so, are we ready?" he asked the room at large.

They all replied with a resounding "Yes."

He then turned immediately to James, Harry, Ron and Hermione who were waiting for him to lead the way before heading into the fireplace and calling, "The department of mysteries," then he disappeared from view in a whirl of green.

The others followed suit and emerged seconds later at the end of a small, thin dark room; the fireplace was at one end of it and along one wall were a series of doors each of which faced a glass window that seemed to house a goldfish bowl with an assortment of strange things inside them. James could see what looked like tentacles floating around in one while another held a contorted and fetal looking animal; a third contained what he could only assume was a brain and he noticed his Uncle Ron shudder a little as he said, "Glad they've got those things better contained these days." James looked curiously at him but did not have time to ask why as Zabini beckoned for them all to go to the furthest door away from them which he was opening cautiously.

Beyond the door was a long dark narrow corridor which seemed to disappear into the distance going on forever but within a few feet they had reached another small door and were out in a circular room which had twelve identical looking doors all around the edge of it. Another comment from his Uncle Ron told him that he had been here before and not had a good experience, "Oh great, it's the moving room again," he moaned as James' father closed the door behind them; the doors did indeed begin to lurch as soon as it was closed. When they stopped moving a few seconds later James was completely confused and did not know which door they had come through or where they should go next but Zabini walked up to one of the doors and appeared to be searching for something upon it.

He moved from door to door until he had obviously found the one he was looking for and when he had found it he drew a red cross on it with his wand, "This is the door we came through," he explained turning to look at them all. "Lily told me what to look for; if you need to get back out this is the one to use and this red mark will stay until I remove it so don't worry about remembering which door is the right one. We need to go out of the one directly opposite," he continued turning to look at a door which to the rest of them was identical, "this way." They followed him out and found themselves in another long corridor which was lined with bottle green tiles; as the door closed behind them they heard the walls of the room move again and James found himself hoping that the red cross would stay visible. It was dark in the corridor as there were no windows and James felt somewhat closed in by the tunnel like appearance that it had; how did his sister work in this place all day long? It was certainly a mystery to him. All along the tiled corridor were equally spaced and symmetrically placed doorways which had heavy black metal doors within them; they were marked with curious symbols embossed into the doors which, curiously, had no handles or keyholes. James found himself wondering what was behind each of them and how you might get inside but he forced his mind to focus on the task at hand. It was eerily quiet in the department and he knew everyone must have left through the floo they had used. He also imagined that the dark wizards probably patrolling the ministry now would have been as confused as he was by the place and hopefully left it somewhat unattended.

Eventually they came to the end of the corridor and were faced with a heavy looking wooden door which again had no handle or lock upon it; Zabini motioned for them all to stand against the wall as he pointed his wand at the door and waved it in a curious pattern while mumbling some words under his breath. "Watch what I'm doing," he said to them all, "if you need to get back in here without me this is the only way," and they all turned their heads to see the exact motion and hear the exact words he was using. The door opened by itself when he had finished the incantation and Blaise peered around it before allowing them all to steal out into the open corridor beyond. They found themselves at the entrance to the department of mysteries and James now knew they were out in the rest of the ministry, the part he was more familiar with. He knew they were on the bottom floor and that the only rooms below them were the dungeons and the old courtrooms which were barely used anymore and only accessible by stairs. It was eerily quiet all around, even to say they were so far down, and it was immediately evident that something was wrong. "We'll need to get up to the fourth floor before we can enter the auror department," Zabini explained, "I don't want to use the elevators as it will alert them to our presence; the stairs will have to do," he added checking both ends of the corridor again before running across to the stairwell entrance.

They climbed the four storeys stealthily, checking around each corner before they moved up again, but if there were people on guard they were not interested in the stairways at all. When they reached the floor they wanted Zabini peered carefully through the doorway and brought his head back swiftly as they all held their breaths. "There's one alone outside the door to the international office."

"Use this," Harry suddenly said pulling a liquefied looking piece of cloth from inside his robes; James recognised it immediately as his father's invisibility cloak which he threw at Zabini. The senior auror put it on and disappeared from view while the rest of them watched as the door to the corridor seemed to open of its own accord and then close again when he had gone through it. A few seconds later he reappeared and nodded at them all to follow him, which they did, passing quickly by the stunned body now laying at the entrance to the international department. To hide any evidence Zabini hovered the unconscious body and placed it inside the stairwell they had vacated, hoping to avoid detection for as long as possible.

Blaise stopped them all at the end of the corridor in front of what appeared to be a brick wall but he waved his wand again at the rough pockmarked stones which suddenly began to move themselves back a few at a time until they created a thin opening; beyond this was a thin passageway with stairs leading up into darkness. Again he told them all how to open the doorway which closed immediately when they were all through on the other side; then they set off up the stairs which seemed endless to everyone. They twisted around sometimes going up and sometimes leading back down; they were uneven sizes so they all found themselves occasionally tripping as their legs could not get into a systematic rhythm like they usually would on stairs. It was dark and the only light afforded to them came from the tips of their wands which each of them had ignited after passing through the opening. "This leads up to the department," Blaise began to explain as they climbed, single file, through the rough walled cavern. It looked as if the walls had been hollowed out of solid rock just like a cave made from years of being battered by the sea; it was also damp and cold which made James feel as if he might have really been inside a sea cave had he not known better. "It was made for an event such as this," Blaise went on, "a hidden way to get into the auror department without detection, providing you could get to the entrance that is. As you can imagine it has not been used for years and only seniors know about it, something I have been trying to get changed lately. Of course you'll remember it Harry from your own auror days, though I doubt you ever used it; this is the first time I have been in here since it was shown to me."

"I never even came in then," Harry explained as they continued to climb up and down, round and round, "we were shown when we first started but never had call to use it; the passwords have obviously changed now too."

"Every month as always," Zabini replied.

Finally they came to another wall which Blaise cast the same spell at to open and they found themselves standing in a small room only just big enough for the five of them; as the wall closed behind them again they felt cramped together. "We're in the auror department," their leader whispered, "and we need to stay undetected for as long as possible; it's highly likely that this department will have lots of guards but the sooner we can free the aurors to join us the better. Beerney's patronus said they were all in one of the meeting rooms but the clerical workers had been taken elsewhere. If we come across them Hermione," he continued turning to look at the only woman amongst them, "I want you to get them back to the department of mysteries and get them out; most of them are not trained to face this," she nodded her understanding and then he turned to the others. "The rest of us need to get to the aurors as soon as we can, ready?" he asked and they all nodded.

James poked his head out of the door and found they were on a familiar corridor on the lower floor of the department close to the meeting rooms they used when all aurors needed to attend. He indicated to the others that the coast was clear and then they all slid stealthily along the walls of the passage until James reached the end and peered around the corner. "There's two of them outside room D," he confirmed and his father poked his head round to see.

"Stun them," Zabini whispered and the two Potters held out their wands simultaneously pointing them in the direction of the two guards and sent out red stunning sparks which hit them in the chest; they both made a short gasping sound and started to fall.

"Muffliato," James whispered pointing his wand at them again and the sound of them hitting the floor was muffled; Zabini hovered the two bodies as he had the first one and Ron opened a nearby door so they could be put inside out of sight should anyone come to check. James ran to the door they had been guarding and opened it slowly; a few gasps from the other side told him that it was occupied and the inhabitants held their breaths as they watched the newcomers enter.

"Mr Potter," someone called and James saw that there were about thirty five women sat in various seats around the room all pale faced and looking terrified out of their wits. Their breaths seemed to exhale concurrently when they realised it was not an enemy; James shushed them before they could start to talk to him while his fellow rescuers came in and closed the door behind them.

"Annemarie," Blaise called spotting the dark haired woman sat near the front of the room, "what can you tell us?"

"They stormed into the department at ten o clock all wearing dark robes and hideous masks," she started recalling, glancing from one to the other as she did so. "They caught us all unawares and took the clerical staff hostage so that the aurors would give up their wands; they kicked in all the office doors dragging us out into the reception where they held us at wandpoint until the aurors conceded. But...I don't know what they did with them; once they had taken all the wands we were told to come into here and we've been here ever since, too terrified to even move. The room has been guarded constantly until...until you came in," she finished looking at him with a terrified expression; James recognised the look on her face, he had seen it on her once before and then it had led to the two of them sleeping together.

"Is everyone here accounted for?" Zabini asked with little sympathy to his voice; he knew they were scared but had a job to do and could only be matter of fact about it.

"N...no," Annemarie stuttered swallowing over a lump in her throat as she looked over at James, "Holly Weston is missing."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

James felt his stomach plummet and he looked at his ex girlfriend in wide eyed horror, "she never appeared," Annemarie continued still staring at James as the department now knew he had been seeing her in secret, even if that little affair was over, "and we daren't mention her in case she was safe and they sought her out."

"That was good Annemarie," Zabini said in his confident tone, "all likelihood is that she got away or is hiding safely." As he had been off on leave he did not know about her and James' relationship which had become the biggest story in the office since she had walked on him sleeping with Zelda; therefore he wasn't aware that his junior auror's brain had now gone into overdrive with panic and worry. "Hermione," he continued turning to look at the bushy haired woman awaiting her instructions, "get these down to the floo in the department of mysteries like I instructed; keep to the shadows as much as possible and be alert."

"I'll go with her," Ron said protectively and Zabini nodded his understanding.

"We'll try and get to the aurors," he continued turning to James and Harry; the latter nodded understanding but James looked at his superior before making his request.

"Sir," he began, "may I go and look for Holly?" The senior auror looked from him to his father who nodded back and Zabini seemed to understand immediately. He had seen the look on James' face before on the face of the ex-auror also stood in front of him and realised immediately that he was worried about the girl; the others would be there at any moment if they had passed through the ministry safely and he could spare James for now.

"If you find her; get her out," Zabini ordered and James sprinted for the door immediately. "And watch out for my patronus," he added.

"James," he heard his father call and he turned back to see him holding something silvery out to him, "take this." In his proffered hand was the invisibility cloak which he had loaned to Blaise, "and make sure she's safe," he added knowing full well how worried he was about the girl having been in a similar situation himself many years ago with James' mother.

He nodded with gratitude before hurtling from the room passing Jordan and Martika with their gang of Weasley's who had evidently made it through the ministry unscathed.

Quickly donning the cloak James made his way along the corridor to the back stairs which were barely used anymore and climbed them two at a time stopping when he reached the top to peer around the corner and check it was all clear. A cloaked figure was walking up and down the opposite end of the corridor and he held his breath as he pointed his wand at the back of the man and whispered, "Stupify," quickly followed by, "muffliato," which once again cushioned the sound made by his body hitting the floor. He paused only to hide the sleeping figure before dashing down the corridor to Holly's office which was at the opposite end; it was dark through the glass window of the door and he held his breath as he slowly opened it to peek inside. "Holly," he whispered dropping the cloak from his shoulders and revealing himself; a short, gasping, muffled sob from the back of the room made his stomach settle as she came into view from between two large oak cabinets behind her desk.

"James," she whispered running forward and stopping in front of him.

"Thank Merlin you're safe," he replied pulling her into his arms even though in any other situation he would have known it was the wrong thing to do now. "I was so worried," he continued wrapping her tightly into them and placing his chin on top of her head. She was scared and did not refuse the comforting hug as she started to sob, "What happened?" he asked loosening his hold enough so she could look up at him and breathe.

"I heard all the commotion outside; people were screaming and the doors were being kicked in. I ran for the door and peered out to see everyone being dragged from their offices so I jumped in between the cabinets in fear, not sure if I could hide from them or not; I blew out the candle and waited holding my breath. They kicked the door open but I heard another call from somewhere and whoever was going to come in here left without checking the room; mine was the last I think and I just listened to them all. I heard more screaming and didn't know what to do; I dare not move in case I was found so I just stayed here; eventually when it had all gone quiet I tried to apparate but I couldn't get out so I just...just waited," she finished as fresh tears ran down her face.

"Holly," he whispered pulling her into his embrace again and holding her tight.

"Who are they?" she asked from the crook of his shoulder where her head had come to rest.

"The High Lord," he replied and she gasped, "and a woman who we don't know. My father and my family are here and Zabini is trying to rescue the aurors so we can fight him but we need to get you out of here," he said releasing her again and looking around the room. "Put this on," he added throwing the cloak towards her, "and stay close to me," he finished while grabbing her hand and pulling her in the direction of the door; she obeyed without complaint and allowed him to lead her. "Stay close to the wall," he whispered as he headed back down the corridor to the back stairs with his wand held aloft in front of him. At the bottom of the stairs he checked for any guards but found the place still empty so he headed for the apparent brick wall which he opened using the spell Zabini had shown them.

Too afraid to even realise where they were going Holly just followed him obediently; he never let her hand go and they were fortunate enough to make it all the way back to the bottom of the stairs before they came across anyone else. On the corridor which led to the department of mysteries James heard a noise behind them and he backed Holly into a deep doorway pinioning her inside it with his body. He heard voices and knew there were at least four of them, too many for him to take on alone with a clerical worker who was scared; turning his body to face her he whispered, "Shhh," and then pulled the cloak around him as he encased her against the door. Their hearts were beating wildly both from the situation and the close proximity of their bodies and they breathed raggedly as they waited for the dark wizards to pass by. They remained undetected but it was a few minutes before they were able to move again; grabbing hold of her hand he pulled her in the direction of the department of mysteries not letting out his breath until they were on the other side of the door where he saw a train of people reaching the other end of the tiled corridor. "Hermione," he called pulling the cloak from around her and realising the train were the other administration workers from the auror office. The woman leading the troop turned to see her nephew standing with Holly and she beckoned for the frightened young woman to join them quickly, "Go with them; get out of here," he said to her, "go to my parent's house; Rose is there; you'll be safe."

She nodded at him with doleful eyes and turned to run up the corridor but before she got away James grabbed hold of her hand again and she turned back to face him, "Holly," he whispered, "I'm sorry, for everything. And...and for this," he added pulling her close and crushing his lips against hers for a quick but furious kiss which he hoped would show her what she meant to him. When he pulled away and let her go she looked shocked and confused but he had no more time to stay, "I love you," he added gesturing for her to go down the corridor and join the others who were fleeing to safety.

"James, be careful," she replied before he turned to go and he smiled as he reopened the entrance to the department and disappeared to the other side of it.

He headed back to the auror department while stuffing the cloak into his robes but was stopped on the way by a shimmering silver animal which came bounding down the stairs to find him. It was Blaise's puma patronus which stopped and spoke in Zabini's deep, confident voice, "Auror's freed and attempting to free the other departments in the Ministry; your father has gone to the Minister's office and I will be joining him there; choose where you go." When it's message was over the creature swirled into a puff of silver smoke and disappeared; James made the instant decision to join his father; he had never been able to fight with him and he wanted to give him the back up he needed and deserved. James knew immediately why Harry had gone to the Minister; he wanted to face Lestrange himself and do what he needed to do to end what had started over twenty years ago. Changing his direction he began to run back down the stairs to the Minister's department which was on the second floor. As he reached the floor he could tell that things had changed; there were obvious battle noises as aurors and dark wizards duelled and when he ran into the main corridor of the Minister's office he was confronted by them all. Spells and curses flew around the room, jets of bright light which James ducked and weaved around as he ran for the Minister's room which was at the end of the corridor. The dark wizards were showing no mercy and he saw many fallen aurors some who, he could see, had been killed by avada kedavra; but he had no time to stop; he needed to help his father.

He reached the Minister's room and flung open the door holding his wand in front of him ready to face whatever he needed to face; scanning the room with a trained eye he saw Penelope Clearwater, the Minister, unconscious on the floor in an awkward position with a short, stout dark robed wizard standing over her, his wand trained on her head. His father was facing the High Lord with his own wand on him afraid to strike while he had the Minister as a hostage. Disturbed by the noise of the door opening again Lestrange turned to look at the new arrival before starting to cackle loudly never taking his wand away from the minister but staring gleefully in the direction of James. "And finally we have the young Potter; the one who has made my plan complete; and the one I can now dispose of without need or want anymore. I no longer need to try and take the magic ability of a powerful Potter, neither father nor son, as I will soon have my very own Potter; my very own powerful Potter to mould and shape into the greatest dark wizard the world has ever known." Both men looked at him curiously as he continued to cackle in an evil way knowing something that they didn't and clearly enjoying it. "The minster has bowed to me and my men will dispose of the aurors, or bend them to our way of thinking. My master plan has finally been realised, finally been put into practise. I never wanted to take Russia; they were just an easy target to start with; my real intention was always to come back here, to take over where the Dark Lord left off and to see his plan through, taking it further that even he had ever imagined."

"And what makes you think you can do that this time?" Harry yelled at him.

"Because this time I have my secret weapon," Lestrange continued calmly watching the duo who still had both of their wands trained on him, "a power that I never had before; I will rule until it is ready; but one day the world will bow down to a great leader, a powerful leader; one taken from the other side to do our bidding and continue our ways. Beat down the muggles; erase the mudbloods from our society and rule as supreme Minister of all wizard kind above that of the muggles, not even in harmony with them but superior to them as it always should have been. And now the time has come to finally kill the ones who have thwarted these attempts; to get rid of the one who saw the downfall of my master; who all but killed my brother and evaded me once; but he won't evade me again; as I said I have what I want and have no further need for either of you!"

"And what exactly do you have?" Harry barked at him.

"I have told you; a powerful Potter to shape and mould," he repeated. "The seed of James Potter in the belly of my right hand woman," he continued holding out his wand free hand as a body stepped forwards from a shadowy corner.

James turned his head to see a familiar woman, one he had known but who looked completely different; gone was the long blonde hair and tarty clothes which she had worn, the cheap smile and the flirty look; they had all been replaced. Stood in front of them now was a red headed woman wearing long black robes and a pointed velvet hat under which most of her hair was scraped back. She looked demure and smart, completely opposite to the cheap woman who had tried to seduce him and his mouth fell open in shock as he realised what Lestrange was saying. In a barely audible voice James whispered, "Zelda?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"You know who this is?" Harry asked his son as he watched the look of horror cross his face. Zelda was rubbing her belly protectively and smiling maliciously as she started her own evil cackle in unison with her High Lord.

"This...this is..the girl who-"

"The girl who seduced him, twice," she laughed interrupting James' stuttering reply, "the woman who got what she needed from him, eventually; and then ruined his secret affair with the dreary administration worker from the auror department! And I'm the one who would have got away with it if we hadn't been so rudely interrupted," she pretended to wink at him seductively but James found himself instantly repulsed. "What's the matter James; did you think I wanted you for your charm and good looks?" she said sarcastically walking over to stand beside her master who placed a protective arm around her waist. "Sorry to disappoint you but all I was ever interested in was what you could plant inside me; what the High Lord needed and what is right now nestling there and growing, preparing itself for a life of ruling the world as the most powerful dark wizard ever known." She cackled wickedly as she finished and James shuddered. He was horrified; not because she had seduced him but because of what it had produced; what she had wanted; and what he knew was there. A child, albeit a veritable nothing at the moment, but something which would grow to be a child, a child of his, spawned from an evil woman who wanted it to get her own high standing and please her master.

"How...how did you...?" James stuttered.

"I tried what I knew you liked but when it didn't work I resorted to a potion, a powerful potion which would attract you instantly to me, make you want what I wanted, clear your head of all thought and reason and then when you fell asleep after it would all seem like a dream. It did the first time didn't it James? In Russia when you fell asleep and woke feeling groggy? And it would have worked the second time too if we hadn't been disturbed by your tart and her friends!" she cackled as he realised he had been right about her and about his strange illness while he had been on duty. "But no matter now; we have what we want," she finished placing a hand on her master's and smiling evilly. James continued to gaze in shock and horror; whatever the reason and however it had been done the only thing he could think about was that there was a child, a child of his growing in that body and though the idea repulsed him he also found a strange wonder in the fact that it was his child and always would be.

"Enough Zelda," Lestrange shouted, "we are done with explanations; it is time to dispose of those that we no longer require. I have been waiting many years for this," he moved his wand up to face Harry and shouted, "Avada-"

But Harry swiftly jumped in with "Expelliarmus," it missed the target but Lestrange's spell was stopped before it reached him. Leaping across the room Harry started to duel with Lestrange who left the Minister in her crumpled heap to fight back; curses and jets of light bounded around the room and James found himself stood face to face with Zelda again for the first time since she had seduced him in his office. He had been right; he had known that she had done something to him; he would never have gone for her, not when he had Holly.

"It was better the first time," she whispered to him as she approached leaving her master to fight his battle, "in the tent in Russia; you fell asleep straight away and knew nothing; that should have happened the second time too but as I said it matters little now, we have what we need." She patted her belly again and smiled, "A Potter child!"

James didn't know what to do; his instinct was to try and kill the girl but no matter what the intention or circumstance she was carrying his child; even at a few days old it was still his and all rational thought left his head. "You can't kill me can you?" she goaded wanting him to put up a fight before she finished him, "You can't bear to harm your spawn!" She smiled knowingly as she saw the emotions tearing at his eyes, "A child, James, your child who will rule the world and be more powerful than you will ever be," she taunted circling him with her wand aimed at his chest. "A dark Potter who will commit so many atrocities; but it will still be a Potter who you cannot harm, who you don't want to harm." She was playing on his humanity, on his love for any tiny part of his family and he found his wand arm would not move to attempt a strike, to do what he knew should be done. "You won't kill me," she continued. "You can't," she whispered in his ear as she passed by still circling him, "join me James, join our cause and I won't kill you; come to the dark side and rule with your child; help us to guide it and make it the most powerful wizard there had ever been; you want to, I know you do."

His mind whirred as he listened to her; he didn't know what to think; he didn't know what to do and he was losing his grip on the reality of the situation. His father was still fighting and she was still circling him, her wand trained on him but held loosely with no conviction; she was confident that he wouldn't strike.

He had to make a decision and he did it swiftly; suddenly lifting his head he looked into the evil woman's gleeful face and spat back, "You will never bring a child of mine up as a dark wizard; I will kill it first. Avada Kedavra," he yelled pointing his wand at her and a flicker of recognition and shock crossed her face for a split second before the jet of green light hit her chest and sent her careering backwards where she fell, rigid and motionless, across the Minister's desk.

"Nooooooo," Lestrange yelled when he realised what had happened and he turned to look at James; pointing his wand at him resolutely he screamed, "sectumsempra," just as the door to the room flew open again and Zabini rushed in followed by a few other aurors. James' body ripped open in three slashes across the front and blood began to gush profusely from the wounds; he screamed out in agony as Lestrange looked down on the limp body of the woman who had helped to realise his dream; he had come too soon; been too impatient; he should have waited.

The pause was all Harry needed to make his own mark and before Lestrange had chance to realise that he had left himself open to his opponent he shouted, "Avada Kedavra," and with another jet of green light the High Lord fell to the floor beside his accomplice in a heap as still and silent as she was. James fell to the floor at the same time and Harry rushed to his side dropping to his knees as he watched his son becoming paler and paler; he was struggling to keep conscious and writhed in pain.

"You need to get him out," Zabini yelled as he watched in horror, "But the wards are still up can you get him to the department of mysteries?"

"I have another way," Harry replied reaching into his robe pocket and extracting a tarnished silver instrument which was always on his person. He clicked the deluminator and a ball of soft blue light emerged from its end; the aurors in the room watched on as Harry picked up his profusely bleeding son and walked forwards so the light went into his body and then he disappeared from view.

"Ginny," Harry yelled as he appeared in the kitchen of his house and dropped James carefully onto the long wooden table; there were only a few people in the room and at the sight of her husband carrying her limp son Ginny Potter jumped to her feet and ran forwards. "Ginny he needs help; sectumsempra," he explained. "We couldn't get out any other way except with this," he added dropping the deluminator, which could only ever take him to Ginny, onto the table beside his fading son, "I couldn't get to St Mungos."

Ginny went straight into healer mode and attempted to staunch the blood while sealing the open wounds which were vicious and raw; Luna jumped in to aid her and together they waved their wands over the body while the others in the room watched on in horror. James was barely conscious but knew where he was and as he laid eyes on his cousin Rose he whispered, "Holly?" All he could think about was whether she had reached safety or not but before his cousin could reply she stepped into his view and he sighed softly and smiled at her briefly before succumbing to unconsciousness; she was safe. Holly jumped to the side of the table and frantically called his name but he was asleep and she was shooed out of the way by Luna who was still working diligently on his wilting body.

"We need to get him to the hospital Ginny," Luna said softly once the wounds were sealed, "he's lost a lot of blood and..."

"I know," she replied being well aware that James was not out of the woods yet and needed further treatment if they were going to have a chance to save his life. "Harry you floo with him to St Mungos; if you apparate he might be splinched...I'll...I'll meet you there; go straight up to the severe spell damage ward and we'll get what we need ready; I can't save him without proper equipment." The only thing keeping Ginny from falling apart was concentrating on what she needed to do for her son and her healer training had kicked in straight away keeping her focused on healing the patient rather than who the patient was. Without another word Harry obeyed his wife and disappeared immediately into the fire while Ginny and Luna apparated from the kitchen simultaneously leaving lots of shellshocked and terrified people in their wake.

"What's...what's going to happen to him?" Holly suddenly asked Rose as she sat down on a kitchen chair. When Harry had appeared in the middle of the kitchen holding James' limp body she had felt her stomach plummet; no matter what he had done to her she still loved him and was terrified about what might happen, "is...is he going to...die?"

"No," Rose said vehemently, "no Aunt...Aunt Ginny won't let that happen, she...she..." but she couldn't finish her sentence. Rose had never seen a person so pale and with such injuries caused by magic; she didn't know what would happen to James and could offer no more words of comfort to the distraught girl. Sitting down beside her at the table she began to wonder; was this what it had been like before when her parents were teenagers and Voldemort had taken over the magical world? She had studied it all at school and knew about the horrors and atrocities of the time but she had never seen them first hand before. She was scared for her cousin, and suddenly for her husband who had gone into the fray with the rest of her family insisting that she stay safe at Grimmauld place.

As if he knew she was thinking about him Salamander Longbottom suddenly whirled into view at that very moment in the inglenook fireplace of the kitchen and the noise made them both look up. "Sal," Rose screeched jumping from her chair and running over to hug him and make sure that he really was safe and alive. He had a nasty looking cut on his head and another gash on his arm which he had tied a rag around in an attempt to staunch the bleeding, "What's happened?" she asked when she reached him.

"The Ministry is safe and the Minister's alive; James and Harry killed the High Lord but they say James is...is hurt, badly," he added glancing at Holly still sat white-faced at the table chewing unconsciously on her nails.

"I know; Uncle Harry brought him here; he...he looked bad," she swallowed as he rubbed her arms, "the blood was...was everywhere; he was conscious at first but then..."

"Where is he now?" Salamander asked.

"They took him to St Mungos; Aunt Ginny said it was the only chance they had to...to save him," Rose sobbed beginning to break down into tears as her husband held her up.

"We should go to the hospital," he said to her, "and see what's going on." Rose nodded in response to him and then he walked across the room, "Holly," he whispered when he got to the chair where she was sitting, "do you want to come too?" She also nodded her head unable to form any real words as her mind continually played over and over the image of James' weakened body appearing in the room and his almost strangled call of her name before he had passed out. "Come on," Salamander continued lifting her to her feet and supporting her as she walked to the fireplace, "at least if we are there we will know what is happening."

One by one they jumped into the fireplace and flooed to the hospital each one afraid of what they might find when they arrived but each one needing to know, even if the worst had happened.

The main atrium to St Mungos hospital for magical maladies and injuries was in complete chaos when they arrived; people, patients and healers were running around the room trying to make sense of the commotion as more and more appeared by the minute. Floating stretchers carried the injured in the direction of relevant departments which were being decided by a few harassed looking auxiliary healers who had the job of deciding which patients were more critical that others. Some people with minor injuries were sat waiting on the floor while motionless bodies laid on hovering stretchers, some covered in white sheets and others with people crowded around them sobbing and weeping. Holly tried to keep her stomach in place as she desperately prayed that James would not be one of the bodies beneath a white sheet and turned to look at Rose and Salamander as one of the auxiliaries ran towards them. "They look minor you will have to wait sir; please take as seat over there," she said pointing towards an area which was already swelled with the walking wounded.

"I'm fine," Sal replied, "We're here to find-"

"There is no time for visiting can you not see the chaos? If you are not here for treatment you have to leave," she shouted back at him with a stern face.

"Rose," called a voice from behind them and turning away from the angry young auxiliary the trio found themselves face to face with her parents, Ron and Hermione.

"Mum," she shrieked running towards her.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked as her daughter ran into her arms. "Sal are you alright?" she added seeing his brutal looking wounds; he nodded in reply as Rose began to sob again.

"Mum, Dad it's James, he's...he's here; Uncle Harry brought him he's...there was so much blood; I think Uncle Harry said it was...sectumsempra." Hermione gasped and swayed a little as Ron came up behind her to steady her feet, "Aunt Ginny and Luna did what they could but they said they had to bring him here to...to..." She couldn't bare to think that her cousin might actually die because of this and she collapsed again, this time into her mother's arms as her husband steadied the other young woman who refused to cry but could feel her heart cracking as she contemplated the same thing.

"Where did they go?" Ron asked taking charge.

"Severe spell damage she said," Rose replied. "But they said we can't visit," she continued indicating the red coated woman who had shouted at them, "if we are not here for treatment then we have to go."

"Let them try and stop us," Ron said vehemently. "Come on," he continued guiding them in the direction of the stairs, "severe spell damage is on the third floor; follow me," and without waiting to see what the strained auxiliaries would do the five of them ran straight in the direction of the stairwell heading for the third floor.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

He felt heavy headed and groggy as he tried to open his eyelids which seemed glued together and the effort he needed to open them was almost enough to put him off trying. He could feel an ache across his chest, it wasn't painful but felt as if it had been and he was confused about what it meant. As his heavy eyelids finally flickered open he saw only blurred outlines of a clinically white room and a person hovering over his bed; he could feel something rubbing his hand gently and he turned his head slowly towards it and saw another blurred figure with dark hair. The figure gasped and then whispered his name and he opened his mouth to reply instantly recognising the voice which spoke; he tried to say her name back but his throat was hoarse and dry and he managed only a weak moan as his eyes came into focus and he saw the pretty face of Holly Weston looking back at him.

"James," she repeated as he smiled weakly and then she was ushered out of the way as a healer rushed to the bedside. He tried to peer around her to see the brilliant blue eyes which he loved but the healer was checking him over and as he watched he saw Holly move out of the room.

"Welcome back Mr Potter," the healer said jovially and he managed a small smile. "We thought we might have lost you for a while there," she added.

"H...ow-"

"Shh, Mr Potter," the healer went on, "save your strength I think there are a few people who want to see you!" He smiled again and she turned to leave the room but as she reached the door he heard her warn sternly, "Do not over exert him; he will be tired for while," and then his room was suddenly filled almost to capacity with smiling happy faces.

"James," his mother said walking to the bed and stroking his forehead, "it is good to see your eyes again," and she smiled serenely as his father came into view beside her.

"You gave us quite a scare there son; do you remember what happened?" Harry asked looking down on his oldest child. James nodded; for a moment he had been confused but after a few seconds everything had come back to him, the battle, the sectumpsempra curse, Zelda; and what he had done. He remembered his father killing Lestrange and he remembered going back to Grimmauld Place somehow where he saw Holly and knew that she was safe; but after that there was nothing. Holly, where was she? He scanned the room lifting his head a little from his pillow and saw his brothers and sister, his Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, his cousins and Salamander who he smiled at weakly before he spotted her at the back of the room on her own; he stared at her and gave another smile which she returned briefly as his father continued to speak. "You did well son," he went on.

"Thank you," James croaked as his sister launched herself at him dropping straight across his chest and making him wince, "Li..ly," he went on and she jumped back apologising as she realised she had crushed his wounds. "How...long?" he asked turning back to look at his father.

"Two weeks," he replied swallowing and looking at his wife who gazed back at her son, "like I said you gave us all quite a scare; didn't know if you were ever going to wake up! I mean we know you like to sleep in but this was pushing it," he chuckled and James gave another weak smile.

"I...still...feel tired," he whispered and his mother leaned over to stroke his forehead again.

"You will," she explained, "you lost a lot of blood and went into a deep unconscious state; you'll still feel tired for a for a few days but it will pass," she continued, "and then you'll be back to your old self!" The room started to chuckle before she turned to it's occupants and said, "We should let him rest; you've seen that he's okay now and you can visit later," she sounded like a healer and James tried to chuckle as he imagined what she had been like with him as her patient for the last fourteen days.

One by one they all gave him a quick hug or a squeeze of the hand before leaving the room; his brothers and sister first followed by his Aunt and Uncle then Rose, Dom and Salamander and then Holly approached him and smiled; she didn't say anything but she touched his finger and then turned to leave. He thought he saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes but he knew she had been there for him; perhaps there was some hope for them after all but he knew now was not the time to talk about. Though he desperately wanted her to stay she left the room with everyone else and he found himself alone with his father who stayed behind for a few more minutes.

"What...what happened after..." he croaked out and his dad took a seat beside him as his mother returned with a small glass of water which she held at his lips and he accepted gratefully. She continued to busy herself around the room as Harry leaned over to explain everything to his brave child.

"The aurors were heavily guarded but when Martika and Jordan arrived with their team we managed to duel them down and freed them all. They moved down the Ministry duelling and freeing the others, getting out who they could through the floo in the department of mysteries while we were in the Minister's room," he dropped his voice at this point and Ginny left the room quietly closing the door securely behind her. "You did well in there son," Harry went on in a low voice, "I am proud of you; you had a difficult decision to make; but it was the right one," he saw a tinge of sadness cross James' eyes at his words and knew he had hit a still raw nerve.

"I...I don't ever want anyone to know what...what I did," James whispered to his father who nodded in understanding. "Even Mum," he added.

"Of course," Harry replied; he had said nothing to his wife about the events and revelations in the Minister's room and though he usually shared everything with her he would respect his son's wishes where this was concerned. "When they knew their Lord was dead they all started to flee; they were losing the battle anyway and their losses were as big as our own; the aurors captured many, some who have evaded us for years, but the rest left, scuttled away with their tails between their legs. The Minister was hurt but safe and she has highly commended everyone who took part in the battle, especially those who were not trained to fight but who gave themselves anyway. We lost some," he said gravely, "a few of the aurors went down but our family are safe; some have cuts and bruises but you came off the worst," he chuckled as James managed a smile. "You have a good girl out there," he went on nodding his head in the direction of the door, "barely left your side since we brought you here; every day sat holding your hand and talking to you; willing you to wake up!" He smiled down and James felt another slight lift in his heart; she had waited with him; tried to help him come back to the world; did this mean there was hope for them now? "Oh and this letter came for you," Harry went on, "apparently it was on your desk at work when Zabini went in last week; he brought it along for you."

"Thanks," James said as he took the rolled up parchment from his hand and slowly started to unravel it; all his movements seemed to zap his strength and it felt like an age before he could read the short scribbled note which was penned by his friend in the potions department.

_James, that potion you brought me was very potent; when I finally managed to separate all its contents I found a concoction of strong love potion ingredients which made a sort of perfume which would intoxicate anyone immediately. The key appears to be when it touches the skin; smelling it straight from the bottle does not have a particularly strong effect but when the wearer is near you they effectively have control over you and you would be powerless to fight them off. I also found traces of a sleeping draught within it which would send you to sleep when the wearer wanted you to; something which would likely wipe your mind of whatever they did. It's a strong potion made by a powerful person; if you know who it belongs to I suggest you keep your guard up. I could probably make an antidote for you if you think you'll need it; let me know._

"What is it?" Harry asked when James let the paper fall onto his bed linen.

"Nothing important," he explained realising that all it did was show how Zelda had managed to seduce him and why he had lost the first encounter from his memory. "It doesn't matter now," he added screwing it up and passing it back to his father, "will you burn it?"

"Yes son," Harry answered standing up, "I suppose I'd better let you get some rest before I have your Mother's wrath!" James tried to laugh again at the thought of his mother in full healer mode but it made his sides ache so he turned it to a smile which his father returned.

"Will...will you ask Holly to come in?" James croaked quietly and his father nodded before leaving the room and closing the door softly behind him. Staring around the room he began to think again about what he had done in the Minister's room; what he had learned; and what he would now have to live with for the rest of his life. He had destroyed a child, his own child, however almost non existent it had been at the time; he had destroyed a life that had been unknowingly created by him. He never wanted anyone to know what a terrible thing he had done, even though he knew he had had no choice. A stray tear trickled from the corner of his eye and he closed them for a moment, trying hard not to envision a young version of himself. The sound of the door opening again disturbed him and he looked over at it with a half smile expecting to see the beautiful deep blue eyes of Holly Weston; instead he saw his best friend framed in the doorway with a hesitant look on his face. "Sal?" he whispered, "Where's Holly?"

Tentatively moving towards the bed Salamander tried to smile sympathetically at the weak and injured man within it; what he had to say would be disappointing but he could not hide it from him, "She's...she's gone," he replied sitting in the chair by the bedside.

"What?" James asked.

"I'm sorry mate but she went after we left the room."

"But why? Dad said she was here every day while I was unconscious."

"She was," Sal explained, "we could barely get her to go home to shower and change and she sat here holding your hand the whole time but...but when you woke she said she had to go; she had only needed to know that you were safe and alive and then she could move on." James was struck dumb; she had left him and that tiny ray of hope he had found disappeared into darkness leaving him feeling numb and unhappy as he had the day she had walked in on him and Zelda.

"But I..." could explain he added in his head; but could I? He continued to think. What would she think if she knew what he had done to a living being? A part of him; would she understand or would she think even less of him than she already did? Would she see that he had had no choice or would she hate him for what he had had to do?

"But what?" Salamander asked.

"I can explain it all to her; I know now what happened; I..." he could explain; but only to her; he never wanted another living soul to know.

"I don't think she'll come and listen," Sal said hoarsely. "She was quite adamant about that," he finished looking sorrowful again.

"Ask her; please," James pleaded and his friend nodded back at him; he would do what he could though he was sure it would make no difference; Holly had sworn that she only wanted to know that he was alive then she was gone.

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Three days later James felt brighter and was able to get out of the bed to move around which he was grateful for as he felt that his muscles had seized up completely. His wounds had healed but would leave scars across his chest which could not be removed; they were still sore and red but much less achy than they had been when he first woke up. Salamander had still not managed to persuade Holly to visit him and he was desperate to leave the hospital so he could try and explain himself. He knew it was the only way but he had also convinced himself that when she knew the truth she would hate him still; however he would rather she hate him because of that and not because she thought he had cheated on her.

His family had visited on a daily basis bringing him sweets and gifts, playing games of chess and gobstones and his Uncle Gerorge had arrived with a few Weasley's wizard wheezes products for him to joke around with which made the healers laugh if no one else. They had tried to keep him occupied and he was grateful for it but the only person he was desperate to see was the only one who wouldn't come. Some of the aurors visited and told him the full story of what had happened to the wizards who were caught; before they were sent to Azkaban they had extracted lots of information and James knew his work would be cut out for him when he finally returned to work. The healers had insisted that he have at least a month off and he thoroughly agreed with them all which his head of department did not find surprising. He was commended on his actions during the battle and was mentioned for getting one of the clerical workers to safety; something which he glossed over quickly as he knew he might not have been as insistent that he alone attend to her if it had been anyone else.

On Thursday afternoon Salamander came to visit him looking very grave and James knew immediately that something was wrong, "What is it?" he asked after his friend had closed the door to the room.

"It's Holly," he replied looking at his feet.

"What about her?" James said feeling his stomach plummet; had something happened to her? Was she hurt? Had somebody done something to her?

"She's leaving," he answered.

"What?" James shouted.

"Tonight," Salamander went on, "she's quit her job and is going to travel the world she says; I tried to tell her to come here first and see you but she wouldn't; she said that's there's nothing more to say. Rose is saying her goodbyes now and then she's...she's going."

"For how long?" James asked insistently.

"Indefinately," Sal answered.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

James stared morosely out of the window of his room and sighed heavily, "Are...are you going to stop her?" Salamander ventured after a few minutes of silence.

"No," James replied quietly, "I'm not; if this is what she wants to do then I can't stop her."

"But surely...surely if you talk to her James she...she..."

"She'll still want to go; I don't think there is anything I can say to her that will make her change her mind." He had thought about it over and over for the last couple of days and while he knew he had done the right thing, the only thing he could have done, he also knew it was still a terrible thing. He had convinced himself that even though he wanted to tell Holly the truth so she did not think that he had cheated on her purposefully, she would still be horrified by his actions and not want to be with him anyway. She was going to be the only other person in the world that would ever know but he was only doing it to clear his name. "But before she goes I'd like her to know something; can you...can you show her for me?"

"Show her what?" Sal asked curiously.

"This," he replied pointing his wand at his temple and extracting a long shimmering silver substance from his head; it swirled in the air in front of him for a moment as he conjured a small glass vial which he put the substance into before corking it and handing it to Salamander. His friend looked at the vial with an inquisitive expression but did not probe James about it's contents, "Please, tell her that she needs to see it before she goes; tell her that I know it won't change anything but I want her to know; it will just explain some things."

"Of course," Salamander said as he pocketed the bottle and turned to go back out of the door.

"Take her to my Dad's house and use his pensieve, he won't mind," his friend nodded at him, "and Sal," he added.

"Yes," he replied turning back to face his friend.

"Don't...don't watch it; tell her that no one else other than those in the memory know what it contains but I just needed her to know too."

"Okay," he answered slowly nodding his head and swinging back around to exit the room leaving his melancholy friend contemplating his life without Holly Weston, the woman who would never love him again when she learned what he had done.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Holly do you have to go?" Rose asked as she helped her friend to pack a few last minute items into her bags. She had made the decision only days before but had managed to get out of her lease on the flat she rented and had moved most of her belongings back to her parent's house. The whole thing at the ministry had shown her that she needed to make the most of her life and the way she had acted when James almost died had also shown her that if she stayed at home she would want to be with him, something she knew she couldn't do now she had seen him with someone else. Every day he had been in the coma had been unbearable and she could not leave his side until she knew he was alive and well; but once that moment had happened she had known the time was right to try and move on; she loved him and needed to know he was well but she couldn't be with him anymore.

"Yes, Rose, I do," she replied looking back at her friend with a mournful look. "I can't stay around here, not now. I need to get away for a while."

"But...but what about James? He's...he's really sorry," she said tentatively.

"I know he is Rose; but it's not enough; he did the one thing that he knew hurt the most; the thing that had hurt him and though I knew we were never going to last I didn't think it would be this hard to get over him. I always tried to keep my feelings in check knowing that the day would come when he would leave but I failed to do it; I let myself fall in love and believed that he loved me too. It was stupid and now I'm paying the price; my actions when he was hurt has shown me that I was so scared and worried and had to be there even though I shouldn't have been but we are never going to be together; I can't forgive him and I won't ever forget."

"I...I understand that," Rose replied knowing that she too would probably be unable to forgive Salamander if he ever cheated on her, "but do you have to go away? Isn't there another way?"

"Rose," Holly said sitting on the bed beside her, "I know I won't get over him unless I go away; I have to do this."

"If...if you're sure."

"I am; but don't worry I'll be back one day! I don't have enough money to keep me going forever!" The two girls fell into fits of giggles at this point and managed to smile at each other as they stood up and Holly zipped up the last bag she had packed to take with her. Its seams were almost bursting when she pointed her wand at it and magically decreased its size so it would fit neatly into her robes' pocket. "Well, I think that's it; I'm ready to go," she said as Rose enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she sobbed into her ear as they clung furiously to each other, "make sure you owl all the time okay?"

"I promise," Holly replied as they pulled apart and Rose prepared to floo out of the house, "I'll seal the floo and apparate when you've gone," she smiled as Rose stepped into the fireplace and then looked sorrowful, she was going to miss her friend; they had never been apart for so long since they had first met. Seconds later however she burst into fits of laughter as the flames flew to life and Rose was knocked to the floor before she had time to throw her own powder in the air and her husband whirled into view and stepped out into the living room looking panicked.

"Holly?" he called looking around as if he couldn't see her, "Oh thank Merlin, Holly, you're still here; I need- what's the matter?" he asked when he realised she was cackling loudly and she gestured to the ash covered girl who was recomposing herself in the fireplace behind him. "Oh Rose, darling, I'm so sorry," he said turning to help his wife from the fireplace. "I...I was in such a rush I," he turned back to Holly once Rose was back on her feet dusting the ash from her robes, "Holly I need to show you something before...before you go."

"From James?" she guessed sighing, "Sal I've told you nothing is going to make a difference I-"

"I know that he...he doesn't want to stop you from going he just wants you to see something before you do."

"What?" she asked a little curiously.

"A...a memory, he wanted you to see it; he said it would explain things to you even though he knew it wouldn't change anything."

"Then why ask me to watch it? Are you sure Sal, it's not just another way to get around me?"

"No I swear; he told me it won't change anything he just needed you to see it; no one except the people in it know what it's about but he wanted you to know. I...I promised him I would try; please Holly, what harm can it do before you go? He said he wouldn't try to stop you going."

"I..." she stuttered as her mind tried to focus; why would he ask her to watch it if it wasn't an attempt to get her back?

"Please Holly," Salamander begged and she found herself reluctantly nodding her head; a part of her was curious about what he wanted her to see that no one else knew and what harm could it do?

"Thank you," Sal breathed with a sigh of relief. "We'll have to go to Grimmauld Place, come on," he went on tugging her by the hand and together they apparated to the front steps of the newly warded house where Salamander furiously knocked on the door and prayed there would be someone at home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I just...I just fall into it?" she asked curiously after Salamander had poured the contents of the glass bottle into the pensieve; Holly had read about them before and knew what they did but this was the first time she would actually be going into someone's memory and a small part of her felt guilty for invading another person's mind. "I'm not sure if I can do this," she went on looking helplessly at him, "can't you come with me?"

"No," Salamander answered shaking his head. "I promised James it would just be you," he went on. "I'll be out here," he finished walking to the door, "just do it."

She smiled and watched him close the door before taking a deep breath and plunging her head into the swirling mass of neither gas nor liquid; a small scream escaped her mouth as she felt the sensation of falling through nothingness and then landed in an unfamiliar room where she could see James and his father, wands in hand, stood in a battle position. Quickly taking in the rest of the room she saw the Minister curled in an uncomfortable shape with a short, stocky dark robed man stood above her with his wand trained on her body. The sound of a familiar voice saying James' name made her turn her head and she gasped as the figure of Zelda came into view looking completely different to the girl who had worked with her for the last few months. Unable to tear her eyes away she listened as the cloaked man and Zelda told their wicked story and she gasped loudly when she learned the truth about why she had been writhing above James' half naked body in his office the day she had seen them together. It had all been for magic? It had all been for such a dreadful deed and not meant to hurt her? He had done it unwillingly so she could get his...his... She was horrified.

Holly continued to watch James' face seeing the internal struggle in his mind as he tried to accept and process the news she had just given him, that he was a father, of not very much yet, but still a father. She could not even begin to imagine what was going through his head as Zelda explained how she had done it and why they wanted the child and as she saw the girl taunt him by circling him and whispering in his ear she wanted to run at her, destroy her for what she had done. She heard the woman's taunts as she continued to circle him and as James eventually turned his wand to the girl and shouted, "Avada Kedavra," Holly felt her heart break for him. She watched the lifeless girl fly across the room and land with vacant staring eyes and tears started to fall from her own as the memory swirled away around her. Within seconds she found herself standing in the warm cosy office next to the pensieve where the silvery fog like substance was still moving around the bowl and she dropped into a heap on the floor.

Outside the office window it was dark and heavy rain battered the glass as a high wind roared around the building; Holly stared at her hands for a moment trying to take everything in that she had just seen. James had learned that he was a father and had then had to destroy the child to save the world from what it could one day become. How had he been able to make that decision? And how could she stay away from him now that she knew this truth? He had not slept with Zelda on purpose; he had done it as part of a bigger plan that was not his doing' he had been an unwilling participant made to act against his will.

Standing up slowly she walked toward the door and creaked it open; Salamander was still outside and he saw the tear tracks down her cheeks; he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off immediately saying in a timid voice, "Where is he?"

"At...at the hospital," he stuttered in reply.

"I need to see him," she added walking past Salamander and down the hall in the direction of the kitchen where she could floo straight to St Mungos. She didn't know what she was going to say to him when she saw him but she knew she had to speak to him, now. In the kitchen she found Harry still sat where they had been when she and Sal had arrived asking to use the pensieve; Salamander had quickly explained what James had wanted and Harry had nodded his assent immediately and shown them up to the study. "Mr...Mr Potter," Holly said stopping in front of the fire and turning to look at the man who was an almost identical but older version of the man she knew she loved.

"Yes Dear?" he replied softly folding up the copy of the Daily Prophet he had been reading.

"James...James showed me his memory of...of the fight in the Minister's office," she saw from his reaction that he was shocked by this but then understanding came into his eyes and he realised why his son had felt the need to do it. "Is...is it all true?" she asked pleading with him to tell her the truth.

"It is," he sighed looking at the girl who almost broke down in tears again, "he didn't want anyone to ever know; but I see why he has shown it to you. He was brave in there Holly and did something that most men would have struggled to do; but it was the right thing; you know that don't you?"

"Yes, yes of course," she replied knowing instantly that this man was not lying to her to help his son, "I...I don't judge him for what he had to do but I understand how he must feel, I think. I just wanted to be sure before I see him."

"What you have seen is the truth Holly; memories can be tampered with but this one has not; if James has used what happened to help you understand what he did then he has shown you everything, I promise."

"Thank you," she said while jumping into the fireplace and whispering, "St Mungos." Salamander followed her and seconds later they were both running to the lifts which would take them to the severe spell damage ward where James was still recuperating. "Why didn't he tell me?" she asked when they were alone in the elevator.

"Whatever it is Holly you wouldn't listen to it," Sal explained quietly and she looked away instantly feeling guilty for avoiding him; he had been going through so much and she had not been there for him. "But whatever it is you couldn't have known," he went on offering her some comfort.

The bell indicated that they had reached another floor and as the door opened a voice rang out saying, "third floor, severe spell damage," Holly jumped out and ran down the corridor flying through the door to the ward and sprinting to the room she had almost lived in for two weeks while James had been unconscious. At the closed door she stopped to compose herself; she still didn't know what she was going to say but after a deep breath she opened the door wide and tried to smile as she stepped through it. Her feet stopped however when she saw the empty and unmade bed before her; the room felt freshly sterilised and for one horrific moment her stomach fell' had something happened to him?


	19. Chapter 19 and Epilogue

**AN: This is the end of this story but there is more James/Holly on the way sometime soon. Thanks for my reviewers who contributed throughout the story, hope the ending is good enough!**

Chapter 19

"Sorry love," said a voice behind her and she turned to see a hospital worker dressed in white robes which usually indicated those who weren't healers, "if you're looking for Mr Potter he checked himself out about an hour ago."

"Oh, thank you," she replied as her stomach came back to rest in its usual place. "Salamander he's checked himself out," she told him when he caught up with her coming back out of the room, "do you think he'll be at the flat?"

"Not likely," interrupted a voice and Holly turned her head back to the worker in the room, "he asked me if there were any parks around the hospital; said he wanted a walk in the rain; bit crazy if you ask me at this time of year but he was insistent that he didn't want to go home yet."

"Did you tell him about one?" Holly asked and the man nodded his head before proceeding to direct them to the nearest parkland which was a ten minute walk from the hospital. It was a hidden wizarding one which neither Holly nor Salamander had ever heard of but after thanking the porter they both ran back out of the severe spell damage ward and used the main entrance of the hospital to get out into the streets of London.

Walking into the lashing rain they were soaked to the skin within seconds as they set off through the cold and dark in the direction they had been given. Ten minutes later they walked slowly down a tree lined street where half way down a dark iron gate came into view which had the words Magorian's Wizarding Park wrought above it on an arch. Holly pushed it open slowly and it creaked eerily in the silent street; lighting her wand and holding it aloft in front of them she led the way down a winding path which weaved its way through the grass and trees. The place was deserted and Holly was glad of Salamander's company as they scoured the place for any sign of James. The two soaking figures were about to give up when suddenly another greenish glow came into sight and Holly gasped as she saw the huddled and soaking body of James sat on a bench alone. "James," she called softly and his head lifted slowly at the sound of her voice.

"Holly?" he whispered back hoarsely standing up but making no move towards her as he dropped his chin to his chest and looked back down.

"I'll...I'll leave you alone," Salamander said from behind her and she turned to say thank you watching him apparate from sight before turning back to see a bedraggled looking James just staring at her; still not moving.

"James," she whispered again as she took tentative and slow steps towards him. His dark wet hair was clinging to the sides of his face as rivulets of water ran out of it and down his cheeks; his robes were soaked completely through and he looked as if he had been sat in a pool of water for hours. Stopping in front of him she lifted his face with her hands holding his chin up with one finger so she could see into his deep brown eyes which showed a wealth of unhappiness and pain. James looked through them into her bright blue eyes and saw something he had never expected to see again, understanding; and as she dropped her hands to hold his and pulled him close he saw love in them too. Leaning up on her toes she held his hands tightly and pressed her lips carefully against his breathing deeply through her nose and sighing as she felt his hands loosen from hers and wrap around her back pulling her close against him as the rain continued to fall. The kiss was soft and desperate and as it deepened Holly wound her own arms around his back and up his neck holding him near and losing herself in his kiss

After a few minutes they broke apart and she looked up into his eyes still with her hands at his neck and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" he croaked looking curiously at her still with a mingled look of relief and shock on his face.

"I should have talked to you; I should have let you explain I-"

"No, Holly you didn't know and I understand," James interrupted; she was still in his arms and as the rain continued to pound on them both he went on, "but you're leaving; why are you here? I...I wasn't trying to change anything; I thought you would hate me when you saw what I had to do." She gasped in shock at his words, "I just needed you to know that I hadn't ever meant to hurt you."

"I know," she murmured while running her fingers through his wet hair, "but I was only leaving because I couldn't forgive you; now I know the truth; it wasn't you; it was her. And I would never hate you for it; what she did to you James what she made you do it...it was awful but I know it was what you had to do and I...I'm just so sorry."

"It doesn't matter," he whispered leaning his head against hers, "none of it matters as long as...as long as you believe me."

"I believe you," she replied leaning up and kissing him again more furiously this time and his body began to tremble. Pulling away from him briefly she whispered, "do you trust me?" and James nodded his head. Wrapping her arms tightly around him she twisted on the spot and apparated away from the cold wet night into James' quiet and empty flat which had been uninhabited now for weeks. He stumbled as they landed and Holly could see that he was shivering almost uncontrollably, "James what did you do?" she cried guiding him to the sofa where he sat down, "You shouldn't have been out there in the rain; you're still not well enough."

"I just needed to feel something," he replied looking up at her his face pale and his body shuddering.

"Take your clothes off," she instructed as she ran to the fire and ignited it with her wand.

"Already?" he giggled with a harsh cough and she looked at him wryly as if he had gained judgement for the comment.

"You're wet James and you're still not fit; take them off," she repeated as she lit a few candles and then ran back to the sofa where she lifted the sopping wet clothes from his body. As he removed his soaking trousers Holly threw her wet cloak to the floor and pulled the damp jumper she wore over her head before summoning a blanket from a chair in the corner with her wand. Sitting down beside the still shivering James she wrapped her arms around him and the blanket around them both pushing her almost naked torso against his bare chest.

"What are you doing?" he whispered feeling his heart beat wildly at her nearness to him; he had wanted her this close to him for so long but now that she was there he was too scared to touch her.

"Sharing my body heat with you," she murmured back gently kissing the side of his face and holding him tight for a moment; then she moved back a little and pointed her wand at his hair using a heat spell to dry it off quickly. "Put your arms around me," she went on and he tentatively reached out to touch her bare, soft skin.

"Holly?"

"Hmm?" she breathed still concentrating on drying his hairl he was still shaking and she was scared he would catch something from being out in the cold and wet for so long.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"It wasn't your fault James; none of it was," she replied running her fingers through his now dry hair and turning her attention back to his body which she pulled close again.

"I don't just mean for that; I mean for everything. I should never have hidden you, hidden us, from everyone. I feel as if I was ashamed and I wasn't, ever; I...I should have known that I could trust you; I did know I could trust you but..."

"James, it doesn't matter," she whispered back, "none of it matters; I was happy the way things were, I was just happy to be with you."

"Until I ruined everything," he said mournfully.

"No you didn't; it wasn't your fault James, none of it; I understand now; I understand everything."

"Even what I did to...to her and the..."

"You did what you had to do," she interrupted before he had to say what he had done, "you had no choice; it was what you had to do to save our world. I will never judge you for that; I just want to be here for you."

"But I thought you were leaving."

"Only because I needed to be away from you," she looked away guiltily at her admission, "I couldn't do anything without thinking about you and I thought I wouldn't be able to forgive you; that I would always be scared that you would do it again and..."

"I won't, ever. I promise you Holly; I want you; I love you and I just want to be with you and no one else," he leaned forwards then and kissed her softly on the lips; it was the first kiss he had initiated so far and she responded to it leaning in to return it with the same feeling and emotion while pulling his body close to hers again. Both their hearts were beating madly against their ribs and when they broke apart they were breathing raggedly, "I've missed you so much," he panted gazing into her eyes.

"I know," she replied leaning back and kissing him again knowing just how much she had missed him too. "You've stopped shaking," she commented and he smiled.

"You warmed me through!" he joked stroking her shoulder and dropping the blanket from around them; the room had a toasty warmness to it from the heat of the fire and a soft glow from the few candles littered around the room.

When the blanket fell from his body Holly gasped as she noticed the dark red scars in three long gashes across his chest; she had not noticed them before as she had been concentrating on making him warm and in the hospital the healers had always ushered her out when they needed to change his dressings. This was the first time she had seen them since the day he had come to Grimmauld place covered in his own blood. "James," she muttered reaching out with her hand to touch them but stopping inches from his chest.

"You can touch them," he whispered softly looking into her face and very tentatively she placed one cool finger against them and ran it along the scars; James gasped a little but then moaned at her gentle touch as she fingered them all.

"I thought you were never coming back," she murmured, "when you wouldn't wake up I thought you'd gone forever; I couldn't bear it."

"Dad said you were there all the time."

She nodded her head still looking in wonder at the red welts, "I had to be; I needed to know that you were alright; even though I thought I couldn't be with you." Without looking up at his face she leaned forwards then and placed her lips onto one of his scars; he groaned at the feel of it and raised his hand to twist his fingers with hers as she rained kisses along them all slowly and sensually. She gently pushed him backwards until he was laid on his back still caressing his wounds and twining his fingers with hers then she lifted her head and placed her lips on his again before moving their entwined hands up the curve of her body where she let go so he would touch her as intimately as she was touching him. "I want to be with you James," she sighed pulling her head from his for a moment, "now, I need to be with you," and nodding his understanding he cupped her breast as she reached around to unfasten the bra she wore before standing up and slowly removing the rest of her clothes and settling her body on top of his again.

The kissed furiously as he ran his fingers along her body resting them on her bottom and pulling her close so she could feel his desire like a rock between them both. James rolled her body over with his and used a hover charm to slowly lower them to the ground beside the sofa on top of the soft shagpile carpet all the while continuously kissing her with vigour and passion. When they landed on the floor James removed the rest of his own clothes and took her slowly, carefully hearing her soft moan and echoing it with his own; he had thought this moment would never come again and he wanted it to last forever. He paused and looked down at her beautiful smiling face, a face filled with love and understanding and he felt in awe of the girl he had hidden for so long; she was so perfect for him and he had known it all along without ever seeing it for real. "What's the matter?" she whispered looking back at him with a curious expression.

"Nothing," he replied grinning back, "absolutely nothing anymore," and then he continued to push himself into her sensuously never too hard and without ever taking his eyes from her own which sparkled back at him. Eventually he lost himself and dropped to his elbows as his buttocks stopped moving and a look of supreme satisfaction crossed his face; she closed her hands over each side of it at that moment and pulled him down for a deep gentle kiss which seemed to last an eternity. When they broke apart he rolled his body from above hers and she rolled onto her side so he could curl up behind her then he summoned the blanket to cover them on the floor where they lay. Propped up on one elbow he gently nibbled her neck and breathed on her as they listened to their ragged breaths and beating hearts. "I'm so sorry Holly," he whispered again.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you when I saw you with..."

"What else could you believe?" he replied, "I couldn't explain it; but with my track record there was no other explanation, not one that we knew made sense. I hate that I did itl but mostly because of how it hurt you."

"It...it hurt you too," she breathed softly, "I...I saw it in your face, in the memory; the choice you had to make was hard I could tell." She turned onto her back and looked into his eyes then seeing some of his sorrow at what he had had to do, "It can't have been an easy decision to make; a life is a life however young and it was a life made by you." He looked away from her but she turned his head back with her hand, "And one day you will make a life again; a real one made from love with no other ulterior motive; and that life will be one worth living with you as its father James." He smiled in thanks and leaned down to kiss her gently again; she still dare not imagine it being with her one day; that was way in the future and she still knew a future with him was shaky but she was starting to see more of one than she ever had done before. "Thank you for trusting me with your memory James," she whispered, "I just wish I had had enough trust in you to let you explain before."

"You would have had no reason to believe me," he replied, "I wanted you to see it to give yourself peace of mind and that was all, no ulterior motive, though I'm not complaining about all this!" he chuckled putting his hand on her slender waist and kissing her again. He wanted to keep doing it; he wanted to just lay there and kiss her over and over again because he felt happier than he ever had in his life before and he knew it was all because of her. Holly Weston had shown him real love and he was determined never to lose that love again if he could help it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Epilogue**

Three days later James and Holly flooed into the Ministry together from his flat where they had been for almost the entire time and James went to his office while Holly tried to sweet talk Terence Beerney into giving her her old job back. She knew it had not been filled and was hoping for a quick yes but he dragged her over the coals before agreeing saying they were in fact short staffed anyway and as she had been through a traumatic experience at the ministry he would accept her apology too. After quarter of an hour she emerged from his office with a letter of reinstatement to commence the following Monday and headed towards James' office where they had agreed to meet. On her way along the deserted corridor she passed a deep doorway which had a heavy, open oak door in its frame and as she stepped by it a hand reached out and pulled her inside. Letting out a short squeal she turned to see her attacker and smiled as the roguish face of James Sirius Potter stared back at her his eyes glinting and his mouth curling, "So," he said pushing her against the door and using the force to close it, "are we..." he continued dropping his head to her neck and kissing it gently, "colleagues...again?" he finished lifting her hands up on either side of her head and holding them against the door.

"Yes," she replied with a short giggle, "he gave me a stern talking to and then agreed to me starting on Monday!"

"Oh...good," he went on trailing his lips along her shoulder sensually.

"So I have a job and a boyfriend now," she chuckled, "all I need is somewhere to live again; the tenancy on the flat has gone so I'm home with the folks for the time being."

"Live with me," he said matter of factly while still kissing her hungrily and running his hands along her body

"What?" she said loudly and he pulled his head back to look at her, "Seriously?"

"Yes," he answered as if he had simply asked her to share an ice cream. "The place is so cold and lonely when you're not there; why waste money living somewhere else? Live with me," he looked down at her then realising that what had seemed so natural to him was really a big deal coming from him. "I'm serious Holly," he went on pulling her hands down and holding them together in his own between the two of them while gazing sincerely at her, "I want you to live with me; I want you to be with me, always. So will you?" he asked hesitantly suddenly understanding that he might be moving too fast for her given what had happened to them recently.

She looked at him in shock and amazement and read the sudden fear in his face that she would turn him down; grinning cheekily and nodding her head she jumped up into his arms swinging her legs around his waist and whispered in his ear, "You are so going to get lucky James Potter!" And, with an equally cheeky grin, he pushed her back up against the door of the cupboard and bore down on her with his lips kissing her furiously and initiating another quick but satisfying encounter at work where a quick flick of his wand locked the door and ensured muffliato so they could not be heard pleasing each other in the ultimate way. Holly Weston, the girl he had never looked twice at before, and James Sirius Potter, the man who was ready to make a public commitment to another girl, one he knew that he loved above all others.


End file.
